Do You Really Want to Know?
by teal-lover
Summary: COMPLETE! Combined into 4 parts: Ch 15, 610, 1115, 1620 Chris has a deeper reason why he hates Leo so much, and why he wants to save his brother so badly. Phoebe is determined to help him through his issues and find out what it is. WARNINGRated R
1. Do You Really Want to Know? Ch 1 to 5

Do You Really Want to Know?

**__**

(Now that the story is finished, I have condensed it into 4 parts. Chapters 1-5, 6-10, 11-15, and 16-20.)

By: teallover

Summary: Chris has a deeper reason why he hates Leo so much, and why he wants to save his brother so badly. Phoebe is determined to help him through his issues and find out what it is. WARNING--Rated "R" for violence and the mention of rape.

AN: I wasn't sure if I should post this under my regular pen name, cause it's a bit out of my element. I've never written anything even remotely close to it, cause it's kind of dark in nature. So let me know what you think, ok? I guess Wyatt isn't the only one with a dark side huh? :

Disclaimer: I don't own Charmed and any of the characters from the show, just borrowing for the moment, get no money from it…

Everyone in the manor was asleep after an exhausting day with the Spider Woman. Everyone, that is, with the exception of Phoebe. She sat on the couch in the darkened house awaiting his return.

Hours after his brief confrontation on the bridge with his father, he felt worse than he had in years. Now that his secret was out and Leo knew part of the truth, it didn't make him feel any better. Even the anger and resentment he harbored towards his father didn't diminish after the pounding he laid on him.

He orbed in just outside the manor to avoid running into any of his family. He really wasn't in the mood to explain his actions earlier tonight. Putting the key he "borrowed" from Phoebe in the lock, he tip-toed into the house.

Phoebe spoke quietly so that she didn't startle him, "How are you, Chris?"

Chris was startled regardless of her caution. He sighed loudly, "What are you still doing up?"

Phoebe rose from the couch and approached him, "I was waiting for you. I thought you might need someone to talk to."

Chris rolled his eyes and tried to step around her, "Well you waited up for nothing cause I don't need to talk. Goodnight."

Phoebe stepped in front of him again, blocking his access to the stairs. "I think you do." When he tried to move around her again, she rested her palm on his chest to prevent him from trying further. "Chris, I know you're hurting right now. And I know that it's bad. Your emotions are so strong right now; that I can feel them even through the blocking potion. And even if I wasn't an empath, the way that you laid into your father tonight, would have left no doubt as to your feelings. Do you want to tell me what that was all about?"

Chris folded his arms defiantly, "No. It was nothing."

Phoebe: "Chris, you beat your father into a bloody pulp…"

Chris: "So, he's already dead. It's not like I could've killed him."

Phoebe: "Yes, but he can still feel pain."

Chris mumbled, "Good. Now he knows…"

Phoebe spoke quietly and finished his sentence, "…how you feel?" She felt a rush of painful emotions flood over her at his partial admission. The feeling was so strong that it stung her eyes as they watered up. She gently pried his folded arms from his chest and shifted into them. Wrapping her arms around him, she spoke, "You're my nephew. My family. And I love you. I just want to help you. Sometimes when you talk to someone, it makes it easier for you to handle. That's why so many people write to "Dear Phoebe". And that's why I help them. Whatever it is, you don't have to go through it alone. Let me share your burden. I'm stronger than I look, you know. I promise, it will just be between me and you."

He sniffed as his vision blurred and stared at the ceiling, "I can't. I just can't tell you."

Phoebe: "Then show me. You don't have to say a word. I'm an empath, and I'm a Charmed One. I'm sure I can write a spell to allow me to see why you're feeling this way."

Chris shook his head, "Personal gain, remember?"

Phoebe: "I'm not doing this for myself. I'm helping a loved one. An innocent in need of help from a Charmed One."

Chris grinned sardonically, "I'm not an innocent."

Phoebe: "Oh, come on. You must have been an innocent at some point in your life."

Chris' grin faded as he stared at the wall absently, "Yeah. I was. But that was a very long time ago."

Shortly after, Chris orbed them to the back office of the club. Phoebe was ready to recite her spell after writing something down. Chris sat on the couch unaware of his body's rhythmic swaying. His breathing sped up, "I can't do this Phoebe. Please, I can't do this…."

Phoebe sat down next to him and held his face in her hands, "Chris, it's ok. Whatever it is, I'll be right here for you. You don't have to worry. Now lay back."

He sat back on the couch, his body still rigidly tense. Just as she thought she had him calmed, he suddenly bounced back up ready to change his mind. She rubbed his back soothingly, "Just relax. I'm here."

As he closed his eyes, he felt her hand touch his forehead and guide him back down. The spell had begun, but Chris' mind barely registered her words as the scene that changed his life began to play out in his mind. He was back in the forest. Back to the day years ago that he found out just how evil his brother really was.

__

Chris: "Wyatt? What are we doing here? Isn't this where the Valkyries live? Cause if it is, I think we'd better get out of here."

Wyatt: "Just stick to the underbrush, and they won't find us. I need to show you something."

The went through the shadows of the underbrush hiding at even the smallest hint of movement by the Valkyries until they reached a clearing.

Chris whispered, "What is this place?"

Wyatt: "Someplace a young Valkyrie showed me a while back. No one else knows about it, and it's protected by magic. You don't have to whisper, no one can hear us here."

Chris raised his voice, "Ok, what are we doing here?"

Wyatt: "I've been doing some thinking."

Chris raised his eyebrows and prodded him, "About?"

Wyatt: "You. Or rather, your behavior in particular. You are--stubborn. Willful, and do nothing I tell you."

Chris crossed his arms defensively, "So! You're not my father."

Wyatt fired back angrily, "I'm the closest thing to a father you've got! Your own doesn't give a damn about the mistake he made with our mother almost 18 years ago!"

Chris' shoulders sank at his brother's harsh words. He wanted to object, but didn't think he could do so convincingly since that's how his father seemed to act around him.

Wyatt ignored the wounded look his brother gave him, "There's a new order coming to power--and you're either with it or against it. There is no longer any good or evil. Power is the only thing that matters. And if you want it, Christopher, I am the only one you can go through to get it."

Chris stood staring at his older brother in disbelief, "Why are you talking like this? What's wrong with you, Wyatt?"

Wyatt: "There's nothing wrong with me. I've just finally seen the truth. And you going out and doing whatever you feel like is going to stop. I've told you countless times to stop hunting demons."

Chris: "I'm still trying to find the one who killed mom. Doesn't that matter to you anymore?"

Wyatt shook his head casually, "No, actually it doesn't. What matters is that you've been killing off too many of my followers, and that needs to stop."

Chris' eyes widened in surprise, "What? Followers? How can this be? What happened to you, man?"

Wyatt struck out quickly and wrapped his fists around the front of his shirt. He spoke through clenched teeth, "You WILL do as I say, OR ELSE!"

Chris tried to shake him off, "Like hell, I will…"

Wyatt grew angrier and shook him, "Do you understand me? Many of the others find you to be an uncontrollable nuisance, much like our father finds you. Only they think I should kill you."

Startled by his words, Chris pried Wyatt's fingers from his collar and stumbled backward as Wyatt glared at him with a stony expression. He was dismayed that not even a hint of the compassionate blue eyes that he was used to seeing remained in his sibling. For the first time in his life, he feared his own flesh and blood. His heart pounding, he frantically flicked his wrists at his advancing brother, but nothing happened.

Wyatt: "I bound your powers this morning while you were sleeping, by the way. And don't even think about orbing away either. That's why I brought you here, you can't just "orb" out of Valhalla. But don't worry, I'm not going to kill you. I think that there are other ways to tame that headstrong temperament of yours."

Though he was tall for his age, Chris didn't think that his lightweight, lanky frame would be any match for the taller, much more muscular frame of his brother in a fair fight. Hoping that the element of surprise was on his side, he charged Wyatt with a well-placed fist to his jaw. Knocking him backwards, Chris jumped on Wyatt and began relentlessly throwing punches to his face.

Wyatt grew angrier with each hit and swung his own fist into Chris' chest, wincing slightly as he heard the crack of a rib.

Stunned, Chris fell and grunted as Wyatt rolled over and kneeled into his ribs. "Get off me, I can't breath!"

Wyatt shifted his weight a bit to allow him to exhale, "I can't have you disobeying me any longer, Christopher. It's making me look bad among the others. Before you leave here---one way or another, you will learn to do as I say."

The look of defiance on Chris' face told Wyatt that he wasn't going to get his way easily. He shook his head and looked at his younger brother sadly, "Don't fight. It'll only make it worse for you."

Despite the pain it took to utter the words, Chris spat back angrily, "Go to Hell!"

Wyatt muttered so quietly that Chris thought he heard wrong, "…too late…" He raised his hand and focussed all of his telekinetic power into his three middle fingers.

Dropping them quickly, Wyatt snapped his collarbone and immobilized him.

Chris felt his head hit the dirt as his upper body suddenly went numb. His eyes followed his brother as best as they could as he stepped back and summoned a black hooded figure.

Wyatt: "Tem'al!"

The man lowered his cowl and smiled sinisterly, "You were supposed to kill him, yet he still breathes. Why?"

Wyatt glared at him, "Change of plans. He is NOT to be killed. He'll learn to heed my command."

Tem'al: "You can't control him."

Wyatt: "Not yet. But you can. And you will. I've seen you do it before."

Tem'al narrowed his eyes suspiciously, "How?"

Wyatt: "Break him. By any means necessary. Just so long as he is still alive--with all body parts I warn you--when you're done. Summon me when you've gotten through to him." He turned and tried to avoid the terror-filled eyes that desperately searched his own.

Tem'al grinned evilly down at Chris as he summoned three of his minions. One by one, they shimmered in as he communicated his plans, along with Wyatt's warning, for the teen.

As Tem'al and his minions surrounded him, Chris tried unsuccessfully to spur his body into movement. He began hyperventilating as they dropped their cloaks--their nude figures leaving no doubt as to their intentions. His eyes quickly scanned for his brother and desperately pleaded with him, "Wyatt! Please--don't let them do this! Don't leave me! Please, Wyatt! Wyatt! WYATT!!!"

Blocking out all sounds, Wyatt tried to appear calm as he tracked through the forest walking as quickly as he dared away from the clearing. This was one time where he wished he had the ability to shimmer instead of orb. At least that way, he could have been long gone. Then he wouldn't have to hear his little brother's horrific screams echoing in the distance.

He walked for quite a while before he no longer heard anything but the usual sounds of the forest. Wearily, he leaned against a tree and put his head in his hands. Sinking down slowly, he tried not to think of the betrayal he had just committed in his quest for power. The innocence that he had stolen and given away freely, would never again be attained. Both of their lives irrevocably changed by his actions today. Wyatt allowed himself to give into the sobs that threatened to wrack his body, as it would be the last time it would ever happen. For he knew that his soul was now well and truly gone.

Chris bolted up from the couch in a cold sweat. He snatched Phoebe's hand away from his forehead. "That's enough. I'm sure you get the picture. It's bad enough that you even know."

Phoebe fought back the tears in her eyes as she still pictured the torturous night her nephew suffered at the hands of his brother's minions.

Chris jumped up and started to orb when Phoebe grabbed his arm and pulled him back. "I shouldn't have let you see that. No one else but Bianca knows. And no one else can know, either. Please don't tell anyone? What the hell was I thinking…"

Phoebe wrapped her arms around him as he tried to hide his head in her hair. "Sweetie, it's not your fault. You have to know that, right?"

Chris: "Not according to Leo."

Phoebe's head shot up, "What?"

Chris: "I didn't show you what happened afterward."

Phoebe: "Honey, you don't have to. I'm sorry for pushing you to bring any of that up."

Chris straightened up and tried to play off his earlier reaction, "It's ok. It was a long time ago. I'm over it. I'm over it…"

Phoebe could hear the rapid pounding of his heart and wasn't fooled by his attempt at indifference, "No, it's not ok. What he did was inexcusable. I'd like to kill him myself."

Chris: "Look, let me just show you so I can be done with this."

Phoebe nodded and guided him back over to the couch. Immediately after touching his forehead, her mind no longer showed here the club's office, but the forest of Valhalla. Though it was Chris' memory, she saw him and his surroundings as a bystander.

Phoebe was amazed by the clarity of the vision, as hers were typically in monotonous hues. 'I wonder if it's because he remembers it that clearly?' She noted that he obviously took her past the attack and seemingly endless hours of torture, though some of it broke through in brief flashes.

Phoebe began to survey the forest around her as a voice spoke and she turned in its direction. She snarled at Tem'al and tried to hit him. When she passed straight through and landed on her hands, she remembered that he was only a figment of a memory. Picking her head up, she gasped as she saw her nephew lying face down on the ground naked. His face was barely recognizable through the numerous bruises and blood. And certainly, the overconfident, assertive young man that she had come to love, was no where evident in the trembling mass before her. She reached out and tried to stroke his hair, silently wishing that he could feel it and derive some small bit of comfort from her presence.

She watched as he struggled to listen to Tem'als words.

__

Tem'al bent down and spoke into Chris' ear, "This is your first warning. The next time you disobey Wyatt, our sessions will be longer--and much more painful. And with many more of my "employees". Now I will ask you one more time--Who is your master?"

The response barely audible, Chris mumbled, "…Wy..att."

Tem'al stood up proudly, "Finally. The correct answer. You're learning, boy. I think we're done for now." Signaling to the others, they shimmered away in search of Wyatt. As soon as they were alone, he reached down and wiped a stray tear from his face, "Please--Please--disobey him again. I would love to get together again sometime?" He laughed ominously as he shimmered away.

Alone at last, Chris breathed a difficult sigh of relief. He called out for the only person whom he thought he could still trust, "…Dad!" He paused for a moment as he listened for the telltale sounds of orbing, then tried again, "DAD!" Instead of orbing sounds, he only shimmering. His heart pounded frantically as he heard the branches creak behind him. Breathing heavily, Chris knew he was going into a full-fledged panic attack when someone touched his shoulder.

"It's only me, Chris. I won't hurt you. I'll take you home now." Wyatt looked up at the demon waiting to shimmer them home as he held onto Chris with one hand, and held out the other for the demon. Nodding his head, all three disappeared.

Tbc…

Do You Really Want to Know?

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Wyatt didn't trust the demon enough to have access into the Manor, so he had him drop them off in an apartment he had been keeping on the side. He turned and spoke to the demon, "Leave us."

The demon replied snidely, "My Master instructed me to stay. Make sure his lesson took."

Wyatt stood up and drew an energy ball in his hand, "I will NOT say it again."

The demon seemed unfazed by his threat, "I have my orders."

Wyatt narrowed his eyes and gave him no further chance. He threw the ball and disintegrated him immediately, silently pleased to hear the echo of his screams. Turning once again to his brother, he bent down and orbed him to the couch in the living room.

He reached over the back of the sofa and lifted the blanket to cover Chris. Wyatt tried to hold his hand over his face to heal him.

Chris struggled to move away, causing further damage to his already injured body. He mumbled, "Don't touch me!"

Wyatt: "I'm only trying to heal you. You need my help right now."

Chris: "Get away from me. I don't need your help." He tried to lift his head, "Dad? DAD! I need you!"

Wyatt: "He won't come when you call, you know that. He never has time to come for you…" He sighed loudly when Chris ignored him and attempted to call for their father again, "Fine. Let him do it then." Looking up, "Dad? Come quick!"

Seconds later, Leo orbed in worriedly as Wyatt blocked his view of the couch, "Wyatt--what's wrong?"

Wyatt: "You need to heal your son."

Leo reached for Wyatt but he swatted his hand away, "Not me. Your "other" son. He won't let me get near him." He stepped aside and closed his eyes at Leo's sharp intake of breath.

Leo cautiously approached his youngest son and kneeled down beside the shaking teen. Holding his hand over his face, he began to heal the wounds he could see. He saw the blood soaking through the blanket and gently lifted it back to expose his back for healing. As he pushed back the blanket and reached the base of his Chris' spine, he noticed that the wounds and bruising seemed to go further. Gasping again, his head shot up in a questioning glance.

Wyatt nodded slowly, "You need to heal a bit further down."

Leo flexed his fists in anger at whoever caused this. Pausing for a moment, he knew he couldn't heal if he didn't calm himself, so he took a deep breath. Shortly after, Leo resumed the lengthy healing process due to the extent of the injuries. "Don't try to orb for a day or so. It would be too draining on your body and undo some of the healing."

As soon as he could move, Chris exhaustedly turned over and faced the back of the couch. He flinched again when Leo touched his shoulder.

Leo pulled his hand back as if he had been burned and sat down on the edge of the coffee table, "What happened?"

Chris fought back the tears, "Wyatt…"

Leo misunderstood his response to mean that he should ask his oldest child. Turning to face him, "What happened?"

Wyatt: "He doesn't listen. I told him to stop hunting demons, and it finally caught up with him."

Leo's anger quickly returned, misguidedly directed at his youngest son. He slapped his hands on his thighs, "Damn it, Chris! When are you ever going to learn that just because you're the son of Charmed One, that doesn't mean you're invincible. Wyatt has more powers than you to handle it, and that's why I've told you to let Wyatt take care of finding your mother's killer."

Chris rolled over angrily, careful to remain covered under the blanket, "He's not interested in finding them." He glared at his brother, "It's all about the power isn't, Wyatt?" Suddenly unable to look either of them in the eye, he lowered his head, "He did this. He let them. And he left me…"

Leo's eyes widened in distress, "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU! You go out and do something stupid--as usual--and get into trouble--as usual--and blame him for it? You had to know that this neurotic, self-destructive behavior of yours was going to lead to trouble, and today you found it, didn't you?"

The shock of hearing his father's accusatory words wiped out the tiny bit of fight he had remaining. He shrunk back into the cushions and curled his fingers around the frayed edges of the blanket. He voiced his objection, "I didn't do anything wrong…"

Leo scoffed in disbelief, "Oh no? Because I'm sure that this was on their "to do" list today." He ticked them off on his fingers, "Let's see, take over the world, kill a few innocents, hunt down some witches, oh--and one more thing--screw the son of a Charmed One! Yeah, that sounds about right! You provoked them again, didn't you Christopher? Taunted them with that cocky attitude and smart mouth of yours?"

Chris' face flashed with the seeds of doubt at his earlier conviction. Muttering softly, "No. I didn't do anything wrong? I didn't. Did I?" He didn't hear the response or anything else for that matter, as he curled up tighter and rocked himself into a fitful slumber.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Back in the club, Phoebe removed her hand as she noted him absently rocking back and forth, repeatedly asking if he did anything wrong. She tried to pat his back but he jumped away from her with a confused expression. "Chris, honey, you're back here in the club with me. It's ok. And no, you didn't do anything wrong. I don't care what Leo thought. He's wrong! No wonder you hate him."

Chris suddenly found his shoelaces interesting, "He never believed me. I tried to tell him a few times after that, but he just said that I was trying to get his attention. Eventually, he stopped coming around at all--even when Wyatt called. I don't know if it's because he thought that Wyatt had turned, or because he just couldn't stand the sight of me anymore."

Phoebe: "Oh, honey, I'm sure that wasn't the reason."

Chris: "Whatever. It's late, and I'm pretty tired. Let's go home."

Phoebe felt the turbulent emotions racing through him, and knew that he wouldn't get any sleep if he went home. She stood up and pulled the cushions off the couch.

Chris looked at her inquisitively, "What are you doing?"

Phoebe smiled at him, "You know this couch has a hide-away bed. And Piper keeps extra blankets in the storage cabinet over there. We can sleep here tonight. Oh don't give me that look mister, I know that if you go home tonight, you're not going to get any sleep. I'm an empath, remember?"

Giving in, he shrugged and went to retrieve the blankets. A bit unsure, he placed them under his arm and watched her climb up on the bed.

Phoebe held out her hand and pulled him down. As he huddled in next to her, she scooted up a little higher to reach the top of his head comfortably.

Chris: "What about Leo?"

Phoebe: "Shhh. Go to sleep. We'll talk about it later." Still holding on to one of his hands, she stroked his hair with the other and soon lulled him into a deep sleep. For that small wonder, Phoebe was grateful. After convincing him that she was strong enough to lean on, she certainly didn't want him to back out now as she covered her mouth to control the sobs from escaping. She couldn't stop the tears from flowing down her cheeks for the nephew that had suffered so much. She just hoped that he would sleep long enough until she could be strong again for him in the morning.

Tbc…

Do You Really Want to Know?

Chapter 3

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Inside the manor, Piper was the first to wake up. Her first thought was of her youngest son, which lead her to go find him. She called him quietly, hoping that he would come talk to her about what was obviously troubling him after the "incident" with Leo yesterday. "Chris? Can you come here a sec?" She waited a bit before trying again, "Chris? Can you hear me?" Puzzled by his unusual lack of response, she went to ask her sisters if they knew where he was. She knocked and opened Phoebe's door when she didn't get a response. "Phoebe, have you seen…" She paused when she didn't find her sister so early in the morning. Phoebe was usually a late sleeper unless she had to work and was always expected to be in her room at this time of morning.

In a panic, she flew through the house looking for her sister and her son. Bursting into Paige's room, "They're gone!"

Paige rubbed her tired eyes and tried to focus, "What are you talking about?"

Piper: "I don't think Chris came home last night, and Phoebe's bed hasn't been slept in!"

Paige jumped up now fully alert since those facts could mean something terrible had happened in their family, "Did you check the attic? You know how he is with the book."

Piper: "Of course I checked the attic. Can you sense them?"

Paige closed her eyes, then frowned a moment later, "No. He may still have some of that spider venom in his blood. He's still off my radar."

Piper: "What about Phoebe?"

Paige closed her eyes to focus again, "Faintly. She seems to be blocking me or something. She's only ever done that when she was with one of her _gentlemen friends, _if you know what I mean. I'll try her first. If she doesn't know where Chris is, I'll bring her back so we can go look for him." She waggled her eyebrows suggestively, "That is, if she's not currently _occupied._"

Piper: "Well I'm coming with you."

Paige: "No, Piper. Stay here please? It could be a trap."

Piper: "All the more reason I should go! What do you expect me to do? Just sit here and wait?"

Paige: "That's exactly what I expect you to do, I'll come back if I need you or the Power of Three. You have to be careful for the baby."

Piper sighed, "Alright. But I'm giving you 20 minutes before Leo and I come charging after you; trap or no trap."

Paige pulled on her jeans and gave her a thumbs up, "Deal. 20 minutes."

-------

Paige orbed into P-3 behind one of the stages so as not to alert anyone to her presence. She cautiously approached the closed door to the back-office and turned the knob, unsure of what she'd find. She peered into the room and saw her sister and nephew cuddled up together and holding hands on the hideaway bed. Her eyes widened as she exhaled sharply. Definitely not what she was expecting. She shut the door and tried not to disturb them since they were obviously in a deep sleep.

Walking back into the club, she paced the floor nervously debating on waking them up to ask what was going on. 'I really hope I'm just jumping to conclusions here, because I don't think Piper could handle the idea of her son and her sister together.' She glanced at the clock and realized that her 20 minutes had nearly expired. She stopped her frantic pacing and orbed home before the calvary showed up and saw what she saw.

-------

Back at the manor, Piper was engaged in a similar frantic pacing in her bedroom. She was just about to call for Leo when Paige orbed in. "Well? Did you find them?"

Paige put her hands up to calm her, "They're ok. It looks like they just crashed at the club last night. You know, they did have a rough day."

Piper gestured wildly with her hands, "Well so did the rest of us. You're not the one who was stuck in a cocoon all day. Why didn't they sleep here?"

Paige: "Calm down, Piper. It's not good for the baby for you to be getting upset."

Piper threw her hands up and dropped onto the bed, "I know, I know. I'm just worried about him, that's all."

Paige tried to ease the tension with a bit of levity, "He's a grown man, Piper. He's allowed to miss curfew every now and then."

Piper: "That's not what I meant and you know it. He's got some serious issues with Leo and I'd like to know what they are."

Paige: "He'll talk when he's ready."

Piper: "You mean _if_ he's ready. Maybe I can get my father to come and talk to him again?"

Paige: "How about we wait on that one until he gets back. He may talk to one of us first."

Piper: "Alright. I'll give him some time--like until the second he shows up. I'm going to lay down for a while. Will you do me a favor and wake me when he comes in?"

Paige nodded absently while plotting her own ambush when they returned, "Sure. Sure."

------

Phoebe woke up after hearing the door close. A bit disoriented, she looked up and saw her nephew asleep in her arms. Then everything that he had revealed to her the previous night hit her full force and made her want to loose it again. Fortunately, the need to help him through it outweighed her own sadness and horror at the situation. As he began to stir, Phoebe quickly plastered what she hoped was a genuine smile on her face.

Chris went to rub his sleepy eyes and lifted his hand, only to find that it was still entwined with hers. Embarrassed, he tried to drop it quickly, but she wouldn't let him. "Uh, hi."

Phoebe: "Good morning to you too."

Chris lowered his eyes, "I should go."

Phoebe squeezed his hand, "It's all right. You don't have to run."

Chris avoided her eyes and tried to smile, "No, but I've got things to do. You know, demons to find." He started to orb out but she pulled him back.

Phoebe: "You have nothing to be embarrassed about, Chris."

Chris glanced up briefly before sinking his head back into the pillow. He mumbled unconvincingly, "I'm not."

Phoebe: "Do you want to talk?"

Chris sighed and felt a bit drained, "Not really. Maybe later though."

Phoebe: "How about tonight? I could meet you back here? Even if you don't want to talk and just want to get a good night's rest. I'm here for you. Whatever you need…"

Chris nodded, "Ok, I guess. But later. Just not right now. But we'd better go. If I know mom, she's probably having fits right now. She was always so overprotective."

Phoebe got up and folded the blankets before holding out her hand to go home.

-------

Unable to sleep with her worry, Piper got up and went to sit on Phoebe's bed to await their return. As soon as saw the orbs coalescing, she stood up with her hands on her hips. "Where have you been? I was worried…."

Paige walked past the room since she had been hovering near by to question them, "Piper, you know where they've been. I told you."

Piper: "That's not the point. In _this _house, you don't just vanish willingly without letting someone know. Who knows what could have happened to you?"

Phoebe: "Calm down Piper. We thought we'd be back before you even woke up. And what do you guys mean you already knew?"

Piper: "Paige told me you guys crashed at the club." Turning to Chris, "Honey, you know you are welcome to stay here, right?"

Chris put his hands in his pockets and shuffled his feet, "Yeah thanks. I just had some things to do back at the club, and Phoebe volunteered to come with me."

Piper noticed that he looked a bit "out of sorts". She took his hand, "Chris? Are you ok?"

Chris didn't want to upset her and tried to smile, "I'm fine mom."

Piper eyed him suspiciously, "Are you sure you're ok?"

Chris quickly changed the subject to avoid her question. Rubbing his stomach, "Yeah-How about some breakfast? I'm starving."

Piper picked up on his avoidance tactic, but decided to let it go for now. "Sure, what do you want?"

Chris passed her and headed for the kitchen, "I wasn't asking you to make it. I'll do it. What do you want? One of my specialties is homemade waffles."

Paige: "I didn't know you could cook?"

Chris grinned mischievously and put his arm around Paige, "I learned from the best!"

Paige puffed her chest out proudly, "See. I will learn how to cook. And teach my nephew!"

He winked at Piper on his way into the kitchen, "Actually, I was referring to mom."

-------

At the dining room table, everyone was finishing up their gourmet breakfast that Chris made. Much to his delight, Piper was distracted from her earlier worries as she savored the last bite on her fork. "Ohhhh. These are _scrumptious_ Chris. You _have _to give me the recipe for these. This could be my new favorite breakfast."

Chris leaned back in his chair grinning, "I can't give you the recipe, mom."

Piper wined, "Why not?"

Chris: "Because _you_ gave it to me! And if I give it to you now before you come up with it on your own, it could seriously mess with the timeline. You know about future consequences…"

Piper rolled her eyes, "Oh come on. Are you trying to tell me that _waffles_ could alter the timeline?"

Chris grinned at his successful avoidance of her earlier questioning, "You never know. That could be what turns Wyatt. You get him addicted to these waffles at an early age, then somewhere along the line--you deny him his favorite breakfast; and he goes off in a fit of rage destroying everything in his path until he gets his waffles. Cause you know, I never really asked him if it was about the waffles."

Piper narrowed her eyes at him and replied sarcastically, "Funny mister. Very Funny."

Chris stood up and kissed his mother on top of her head, "I thought so. Look, I gotta' go, ok? I think I have a lead on who turns Wyatt, and I'm a bit behind because of the spider woman." He began to orb as Phoebe called his name and he turned back, "Yeah?"

Phoebe studied him carefully at his sudden change in behavior. She tried to ask him subtly about their appointment later tonight, "We'll see you around later, huh?"

Chris nodded hesitantly and understood her question, "Yeah. I'll see you guys later." He orbed out without waiting for anyone to respond.

Paige watched the interaction with interest. She noted that they both seemed to be acting strangely, and Chris doubly so. He had even reverted back to his initial behavior of slyly changing topics. And since he only did that when he was hiding something, she was convinced that now was no different. She was interrupted from her musings when Piper announced that she was going upstairs to lay down for real this time. As soon as she heard Piper's footsteps on the ceiling above her, she turned to Phoebe. "Ok. Spill…"

Phoebe cocked her head to the side in confusion, "What?"

Paige: "Don't play dumb with me. What's going on between you two?"

Phoebe: "Well you're going to have to explain what you're talking about, because I'm sure not following you."

Paige: "I'm not going to spell it out for you. I don't even think I _want_ to spell it out for you. But what I do want is for you to tell me the truth. I saw you two together this morning. And you looked pretty cozy. Now I don't know…"

Phoebe jumped up defensively and hissed, "You're right! You _don't _know. And frankly--it's none of your business." She calmed at her sister's hurt expression, "Look, I'm sorry. Nothing is going on between us. You know me better than that."

Paige: "Yeah, I do. And I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions. But in my defense, you did kind of have the hot's for him when he first got here, and you looked quite comfortable this morning when I peeked in…"

Phoebe rolled her eyes disgustedly, "Don't remind me. But believe me, since I found out who we was, I certainly have _no _feelings for him other than, I guess you could call it _maternal_ feelings? He's my nephew. And he needed me. He still does--that's why we won't be home tonight either. So I would appreciate it if you would keep our secret for the time being. Can you cover for us?"

Paige: "Of course. But I don't know how long I can keep it up. First thing this morning, Piper was ready to call your dad in here to come and talk to him."

Phoebe: "When and if he's ready, ok? One step--or family member--at a time."

Paige nodded her grabbed her hand, "I'm sorry I doubted you."

Phoebe smiled and squeezed her hand in return, "It's ok, honey." She turned and started to leave.

Paige: "Phoebe?"

Phoebe: "Yeah?"

Paige: "Whatever it is…The reason he needs you…It's worse than we thought, huh?"

Phoebe turned and shut her eyes to prevent the tears from betraying her with a response of their own. Walking away, she muttered quietly without turning around, "See you later, Paige."

TBC

Do You Really Want to Know?

Chapter 4

By: teallover

-------

Phoebe picked up the phone, "Elise? Hi, it's me. Could you do me a favor?", pausing to listen on the other end, "Yes, I'm working on that. But could you have one of the girls fax me some of the letters so I can work here today? Thanks so much. You're a life saver."

Hanging up, she mentally planned out her day. She had decided to stay at home today so she could also concentrate on finding a certain demon. She went to the attic and started flipping through the book.

'------'

Hours later, Phoebe still hadn't found anything, so she decided to call for her brother-in-law. "Leo!"

Leo appeared, "Blessed be…"

Phoebe was still angry with him for the way his future self treated his own son, "Oh, don't' you blessed be me."

Leo immediately dropped the passive and calm behavior in favor of a startled reaction, "What's wrong? Is it Chris?"

Phoebe tried to control her emotions, however, her anger managed to seep through. "No."

Leo: "What did I do?"

Phoebe mumbled, "Nothing. Look, I'm trying to find a demon named Tem'al. Heard of him?

Leo: "No. What kind of demon is he?"

Phoebe: "I don't know. He wears a black cloak, though I could probably describe him for you."

Leo: "Isn't he in the book?"

Phoebe replied exasperatedly, "Would I have called you if he was in the book?"

Leo looked down sadly, "Sorry. I guess you hate me now, too."

Phoebe realized that he hadn't done anything yet, and tried to put her anger aside. Putting her hand on his arm, "I'm sorry, Leo. It's just been a rough day. I don't mean to take it out on you. Can you help me find him?"

Leo accepted her apology, "Sure. What's he done."

Phoebe: "More like what he will do."

Leo: "What's that?"

Phoebe wanted to keep her promise and didn't want to give away Chris' secret, so she embellished a bit. "Chris and I think that he may play a major role in Wyatt's turning." She thought to herself, 'there. That's not entirely untrue!'

Leo: "Speaking of, where is Chris? Still avoiding me?"

Phoebe admitted, "Probably. I wouldn't recommend you mention this to him, or Piper and Paige for that matter, either. I don't want to get their hopes up. Just come to me if you find him."

Leo seemed to ignore most of what she said, "What could I have done that was so bad?"

Phoebe looked down, afraid that her emotions might get the best of her again. Her head shot up suddenly as she felt Leo's sadness and distress at his son's apparent feelings toward him. She took his hand gently and lied to him, "I don't know honey. He'll talk when and if he's ready. But don't push him, OK? He's really hurting right now."

Leo focussed on Phoebe intently. He noticed her jaw twitching and eyed her suspiciously, "you know something don't you? Did he tell you why he hates me?"

Phoebe replied honestly, "I swear to you Leo, he didn't tell me anything. But I'm an empath. I feel when he's hurt, remember?"

Leo didn't quite believe her, but let the matter drop for the moment. "Ok. I'll go check with the other Elders. See if they know anything."

As he orbed out, Phoebe let out a deep breath. 'Damn! That was close. I'm going to have to be more careful with my emotions.' She closed the book and grabbed her laptop in the hopes of getting at least some work done until Leo came back.

'----'

Piper was in the kitchen making dinner when Paige walked in, "Why is Phoebe home today?"

Paige had her own suspicious, but tried not to let them show. "She's working from home today."

Piper: "I know _where _she is. But what I asked you was _why _she is--here today, that is."

Paige: "I don't know. Maybe--she wanted to take it easy."

Piper: "Nice try. But if she wanted to do that--she would have went _to_ work, instead of staying home--especially since with all of the demons that attack around here make it anything but _peaceful _enough to take it _easy_."

Paige tried to think quickly to steer Piper away from her train of thoughts, "Well, I think I remember her saying something about wanting to dodge Elise this week, maybe about some new column."

Piper narrowed her eyes at her in disbelief before turning back to chop vegetables. "Right. Have you seen Chris?"

Paige: "Not lately, but I've gotta' go." She orbed out quickly to avoid further questioning.

Piper muttered under breath to herself, "Yeah. One way or another I'm going to find out what's going on around here."

'------'

After dinner, everyone seemed to be exhausted from a tiring day of their own activities.

Piper: "I'm going to put Wyatt to bed and turn in a bit early myself. Goodnight."

Chris: "I'm going to go take another look at the book before I turn in." He stood up and kissed his mother on the cheek, "Goodnight, mom."

Paige glanced at Phoebe to see if she was watching him; which surely enough, she had been doing. As soon as they had left, she spoke, "Piper's getting suspicious, and it's only been a day. She asked why you stayed home today."

Phoebe: "I was trying to find something to help him. What did you tell her?"

Paige: "Nothing. I just said that I thought you were trying to avoid Elise this week because she wanted some new column."

Phoebe: "That's good. I'll probably do it again tomorrow. I'm leaving soon. Thanks"

Paige smiled, "Happy to help. Good luck."

Phoebe: "Thanks. We'll be back first thing tomorrow. Hopefully, before Piper wakes up. If we're not, can you call my cell phone and warn us?"

Paige and Phoebe said their goodnight's while heading up to their rooms.

After ruffling up the bed a bit, Phoebe stood back to examine her handiwork. Satisfied that the bed looked slept in this time, she grabbed some of her things and tip-toed upstairs to find her nephew. "Hey there."

Chris had been busy flipping through the book intently and was startled by her sudden appearance. "Hey. Wow. Is it that time already?"

Phoebe held up her bag and shook it, "Yeah. I got my jammies. You ready to go?"

Chris grinned at her attempt at humor. He didn't voice his response, but rather walked over and touched her shoulder as he orbed them to P-3.

As they settled in for the night, she waited a while before asking him, "Do you feel like talking tonight?"

No sooner had he said no, that he began talking a moment later and she resisted the urge to smile.

Chris: "I guess I just kind of wish I knew why I was never good enough for him. Why he hated me so much."

Phoebe: "Chris, your father didn't hate you."

Chris said bitterly, "You didn't see him."

Phoebe: "But I did hear him. Even though he acted like a jerk to you, he did seem to care about you. I want to try something…."

Chris asked hesitantly, "What?"

Phoebe: "I want to try and see what your subconscious saw. Leo was saying something to Wyatt just as you were falling asleep. I think you might have heard him."

Chris sat up defensively, "What difference does it make. I'm not really interested in anything he had to say."

Phoebe pulled him back down gently, "Because I think there was something there that may have been important."

Chris thought it over for a few minutes before finally giving in, "Ok, I guess. But I can't see what good it could possibly do. How are you going to do it anyway?"

Phoebe: "I'm going to modify the spell a bit to allow me to see, or at least hear, what your mind heard."

He closed his eyes and felt her touch his forehead. Shortly afterward, he no longer saw just the blackness of his eyelids. He also felt, or rather heard something more. Something that completely surprised him. His father--yelling at Wyatt? The perfect son?

'-----'

__

Leo stood up flailing his arms, "Wyatt! How could you let this happen?"

Wyatt: "Oh, so I'm his keeper now?"

Leo: "You're his big brother! You're supposed to be looking out for him, not letting him go off and do whatever he wants so he can get into trouble."

Wyatt decided to play along since Leo was none the wiser of his duplicitous actions. He narrowed his eyes and sneered, "You're his father. That's "your" job!"

Leo: "And I'm an Elder too. You know I have other responsibilities. That's why I asked you to watch over him."

Wyatt smiled and replied sarcastically, "Well thanks for coming, Dad. He's healed now, so you can just go back to your "other" responsibilities because you're neither needed nor wanted here. Chris has done just fine without you for this long."

Leo crossed his arms angrily, "EXCUSE ME! I'm his father…How dare--"

Wyatt spat back, "SINCE WHEN? Certainly not since mom died."

Leo opened his mouth to protest, but realized that his oldest son was right. He had avoided both of his sons since Piper died, especially Chris. The boy reminded him so much of her, that it hurt to be around him. Everytime he looked at his face, he saw his wife smiling back at him. The spitting image of the love he had lost. Even the anxious, short temper was Piper through and through. He never meant to reject his son, and he wanted to change that, but he just didn't know how.

Wyatt knew he had struck a nerve with his father and laughed cynically. He started to orb out when Leo stopped him.

Leo calmed down, "Wait. Can you find him some clothes? So he'll be more comfortable?"

Wyatt nodded and left him standing there next to the couch to watch over his son. As Leo got closer, he noticed his face scrunch up as he began to kick out, all the while mumbling something incoherent.

Leo soon realized that he was in the throes of a nightmare, probably reliving whatever horror he had so recently been subjected to. His fists clenched repeatedly, silently cursing whoever had hurt his child as his anger renewed itself once again.

When Chris' thrashing became more violent, he was immediately pulled from his own anguish and went to try and calm his son's distress. Touching his forehead, he snatched his hand back quickly when Chris recoiled from his touch even in his sleep. He resorted to holding his hand over his body until it relaxed into a deep slumber.

Wyatt orbed back in holding a new set of clothes. He grimaced at Leo, "You still here?"

Leo was so absorbed in watching Chris sleep that he apparently didn't hear the displeased tone of voice. "I was just leaving. But I wanted to put him under a little deeper so he could at least sleep peacefully. He'll have enough to deal with when he wakes up."

Wyatt: "Yeah, whatever."

Leo: "Maybe I could make him forget, like I did for your mother when you were a baby?"

Wyatt scoffed, "I don't think so. The way I hear it, she didn't know who any of us were. But, if your goal is to make him forget that you've been a lousy father to him--then yes, that would be the way to go!"

Leo finally caught on to his sarcasm and shouted back angrily, "DAMN IT WYATT! Why do you have to be like that?"

Wyatt wasn't fazed by Leo's outburst and replied calmly, "And why do you have to pretend like he doesn't exist."

Leo suddenly sounded defeated, "I don't do that, I don't…I don't mean to. He's just so much like your mother. I see her face every time I look at him…"

Wyatt interrupted, "Just do us a favor? Go back up there and don't bother coming back."

Leo stood in front of Wyatt glaring at him for his brash behavior. He didn't get to protest as Wyatt turned his back and waved his hand, dismissing him. Leo looked around at his surroundings in surprise to suddenly find himself back up "there" as he cursed under his breath. "Why that little…I didn't even know he could do that."

One of the other Elder's approached him but he waived them off angrily, "NOT NOW!!!"

Immediately, he tried to orb back down, but found the apartment blocked by some type of invisible force field that Wyatt had apparently erected to keep him out. Standing on the curb, Leo ignored the curious glances he got from neighbors as he shouted back up to the window, "DAMN IT WYATT! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO KEEP ME OUT! GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE! I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME!….."

'----'

Chris opened his eyes in surprise, "Wow! I had no idea. I've never seen him that angry with Wyatt before. He was always the _perfect son_".

Phoebe: "So Wyatt told him not to come back."

Chris: "That doesn't mean he had to listen. He could have tried harder! But instead, he left me with…with…HIM…and his buddies! When it really came down to it--he didn't care what happened to me!"

Phoebe: "Chris you saw that wasn't true. Wait. You said he left--did something else happen?"

Chris jumped up and stormed off to the bar angrily. Slamming a mug on the table, he filled it to the brim with the strongest alcohol he could find.

Phoebe followed, "Chris, you don't drink. That's not the answer."

He seemed to realize the same thing as he fought to control his hand from shaking and sat the glass back down.

She started to approach him, but was startled back when he suddenly grabbed the full glass and hurled it against the back of the club wall. His face gleamed with pleasure when it shattered into tiny pieces. So he picked up another. And another. And another--until he ran out of glasses within reach. Before he could venture out further, she wrapped her arms around him, "Feel better now?"

Her interruption seemed to drain his new found energy for destruction. His shoulders slumped as he whispered, "..no.." He sagged down to the floor, pulling her with him. "Every time I woke up, he wouldn't let me leave. He wouldn't unbind my powers. Didn't quite understand why at the time. Funny thing was--I didn't care. I didn't want to go back out there. I figured it was safer inside."

As his voice faltered, she understood that it was difficult for him to continue. "Do you want to show me?"

His barely perceptible nod gave her permission, and she touched his forehead again to see his memory.

'-----'

__

Wyatt stormed into the bedroom where his younger brother had been housed for the past several months since their return from Valhalla. He had grown weary of the now eighteen-year old's sullen and withdrawn behavior. In fact, if he hadn't heard him speak to Leo when they first came home, he might have thought that Tem'al had damaged his vocal cords. As it was, the only person that he seemed to be the slightest bit comfortable around, was most surprisingly, one of Wyatt's recent additions to his assassin fold. A Phoenix he enlisted when he vanquished her former master. "Get up. Now."

Chris visibly tensed at Wyatt's demand, but continued to stare at the floor unmoving.

Wyatt: "Look at me when I'm talking to you!" When he still didn't respond, Wyatt forcibly lifted his head to look into his glassy eyes. "Have you learned--NOTHING!!! After everything, you STILL refuse to do as you are told! Well you are--out--of--time, Christopher. No more games. You have about--", glancing down at his watch, "--four minutes to learn to do as I tell you. Yes, I can see by the look in your eyes that you know what I mean. That's right--they're coming. And this time--you may not survive. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?"

TBC…..

Do You Really Want to Know?

Chapter 5

By: teallover

'-----'

__

As Wyatt held Chris' chin to look into his eyes, he silently thanked whatever being that graced him with powers, had not seen fit to include empathy. The flurry of emotions that emanated from the crystal blue depths before him--Anger. Betrayal. Pain. Fear, would have all simply been too much for even the Twice-Blessed Son to take. As it was, the single tear that pooled from them was nearly enough to undo his resolve. He leaned in and whispered into his ear, "Just do as I tell you. And I promise--that won't happen again. I won't let them hurt you. But if you don't--they will either kill you, or--Just do it, Ok?" He stepped back and pulled on his shirt to coax him off the bed.

Chris started to follow until he heard the sounds of someone shimmering in the living room. A lot of someone's by the sounds of it. He paused trying to decide if he should try to make a run for it, or trust Wyatt. 'No', he thought, 'There's no way I'd make it past all of them and Wyatt. What choice do I have?' He was interrupted from his musings when Wyatt tugged on his shirt again like he used to do when they were kids.

Walking out into the spacious living room, Wyatt paused as he scanned the room and quickly counted off nearly two-dozen of Tem'al's minions.

Tem'al: "Wyatt? So nice to see you again." He sauntered over to them, eyeing the younger Halliwell greedily. "It seems as though he's behaving. None of the other's have gone missing since Valhalla. Well, of course, with the exception of my humble servant Brechior. He disappeared after he dropped you off from Valhalla. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"

Wyatt gave him his best innocent look, "No. I haven't seen him. I do hope nothing has happened to him. But if it has, I know Chris didn't have anything to do with it. After all, you did quite an exceptional job of breaking him out of that nasty habit of hunting demons."

Tem'al narrowed his eyes suspiciously, "Is that so? I 'd like to see how well he can follow directions." He began circling them before he suddenly struck out, too fast even for Wyatt to react. He pulled Chris away from his brother's side and had him pinned against the wall in mere seconds.

Wyatt was too stunned by the swiftness of the move and didn't react quick enough. He had tried to grab for Chris, but he was already too far out of reach when several of Tem'al's demons surrounded him, while yet another brought an athame to his throat. He should have expected a double cross. After all, they were demons. But oddly enough, he didn't anticipate the situation. He did his best to cover the surprise in his voice, "What's going on Tem'al?"

Tem'al: "I'm just making sure that you don't try anything. Just in case you were thinking about having second thoughts. You do know why I'm here…"

Wyatt: "Why would I do that? I gave him to you once before. I certainly have no problems doing it again. That is--should I deem it necessary."

Tem'al: "Yes, but you really don't want us to kill him, do you? I mean--it was your idea to trade his life in exchange for his body--to teach him to behave. It would be such a shame--if we were to find out, that nothing had changed. And you wouldn't want to risk loosing him now after all of the training we gave him before, now would you?"

Chris clenched his fists angrily at their casual conversation and disregard for his life--his soul. He took a deep breath and tried to stem his reaction, hoping that it would go unseen.

Unfortunately as luck would have it, Tem'al noticed, "Oh, is he getting angry? I don't think you've done such a good job, Wyatt. He laughed heartily as a room full of demons crowded around both Halliwell's and shared a laugh. He wanted to see just how far he could push the teenager; to see if could provoke him further. Prove that neither Witch could be trusted. He leaned in closer and blew a stray hair from his face, purposely brushing past his lips to gauge his reaction. He wasn't surprised as the young man quickly squeezed his eyes shut.

Tem'al taunted him, "Open your eyes, boy. I want you to see what's coming. " He waited for a moment, but still received no response.

Tem'al spun on Wyatt hissing, "You expect me to believe that you can command my army--yet you CAN NOT even command your OWN--flesh--and--blood? A mere child at that?" He turned back to face Chris and continued his conversation with Wyatt, "You are of no use to me, Halliwell." He ran the back of his hand down Chris' neck, "This one, on the other hand--has many uses." Turning back and grinning at Wyatt, "On second thought, there are so many of us here today. And perhaps, two would go much further than one."

Wyatt responded with a calmness he didn't feel, "You are mistaken, Tem'al. I have simply seen to it that he obeys only me."

Chris heard the banter and laughter that Tem'al's comment had produced at Wyatt's expense. But somehow, he just didn't think Tem'al was joking. He was currently contemplating whether or not it would be worth it to go through all of that again, just to see his traitorous brother suffer and be humiliated in the same way. And would he live long enough to see the irony of the situation? The gleam in Tem'al's eyes just before he shut his own just didn't seem to convey any mercy--so that wasn't very likely. And he knew that he definitely wanted to live.

His decision made, he patiently waited for the command that most assuredly would come from the older Halliwell. He didn't have to wait long.

Wyatt: "Christopher. Open your eyes!"

Chris responded to his command with a glance in his direction. He noticed, with no small amount of satisfaction, that Wyatt appeared, if only to his eyes, as apprehensive as he was. He was brought back to the situation as his breath caught in his throat and realized just how close Tem'al was. Now that he could see him; feel the heat from the demon's breath on his face, the fear replaced his anger and returned full force. He struggled to fight his own instincts for either flight or fight. If it was even possible, he stiffened his body to stand closer to the wall, and further from the demon.

Tem'al seemed to be paying very close attention to him and noticed the minute movement to distance himself. To remedy that, he reached down and grabbed the young man's waist to pull him closer, eliciting a sharp gasp.

Chris was glad when Wyatt spoke again.

Wyatt: "Christopher! Come over here, now!"

Chris was grateful for the opportunity and breathed a sigh of relief to be able to pry the hand from his body. So eager to get away, he nearly bounced over to Wyatt's side.

As the demons holding Wyatt at bay relaxed a bit, he moved the athame from his neck slowly. He was starting to doubt the merits of leaving the boy's powers bound. If things didn't work out, then they could have at least fought their way out.

He tensed as he thought of his next move, and wasn't confident that it would work. After all, he hadn't heard his brother's voice in months, and now, their very lives depended on the response--if any, he would get from him. He closed his eyes momentarily, knowing that it could very well be the last thing he ever did as he addressed Chris, "Who is you Master?"

Chris looked down sadly before answering, "You are."

Wyatt breathed his own sigh of relief. He quickly regained his brazen attitude, "Look at me when I address you!"

Chris' eyes shot up immediately.

Wyatt pointed to the ground, "Then on your knees and bow before me."

Tem'al laughed at the absurd scene--of one brother bowing to the other. But he was satisfied of the younger's obedience when he kneeled. Tem'al knew that the arrogant young witch must have been ashamed and humiliated to be reduced to such servitude, as his shoulders sagged along with the head that bowed. 'Perfect'. He added for good measure, "While he's down there…"

All eyes in the room shot to him. The only two voices that could not be heard laughing uproariously belonged to the Halliwell brothers.

TBC…..


	2. Do You Really Want to Know? Ch 6 to 10

Do You Really Want to Know?

****

(Now that the story is finished, I have combined the chapters. This is Chapter 6-10)

Chapter 6

By: teallover

Summary: Chris has a deeper reason why he hates Leo so much, and why he wants to save his brother so badly. Phoebe is determined to help him through his issues and find out what it is. WARNING--Rated "R" for violence and the mention of rape.

AN: I probably should have posted chapter 5 & 6 together, since they were already written & probably would have made more sense--but I just wasn't finished spell checking yet.

Calen--And oh my goodness no, Chris didn't do that! They were making jokes at their expense. Don't worry, neither of the Halliwell men are wusses. In the future, Chris just doesn't have any powers for a while, and Wyatt-couldn't have always been that cocky. He had to start somewhere. You know, work his way up the ladder ;) And yes, I've thought about Excalibur--but…you'll just have to see for yourself:)

And by the way, some swear words here.

'-----'

Tem'al eventually settled down and stopped laughing, soon followed by the rest of his demons. He ordered them to back off of Wyatt. He said with a hint of amusement, "Fine. Since you have shown you can control him, you may do alright with my army. I'll give you a chance. I'll have a few things for you to take care of in the morning--see how well you do. Your lucky, Wyatt. I don't give this kind of opportunity lightly, or to just anyone."

Wyatt grinned, "I suppose that it also has nothing do with the fact that Excalibur can be only be wielded by me?"

Tem'al's amusement faded as he turned to leave, "Perhaps…" He signaled for the others as one by one, they shimmered out.

As soon as they were gone, Wyatt reached for Chris to help him up.

Chris slapped his hand away as they anger he had built up over the past several months had finally reached a boiling point. "Don't touch me. I can't believe you did all of this for A JOB? You put me through hell and back for a FUCKING job?"

Wyatt: "No, not just for a job. First of all, Tem'al is poised to be the next Source. You would have known that if you hadn't just started randomly killing his followers. He took notice, and decided to kill you. I saved your life---"

Chris pointed to himself in disbelief, "YOU saved MY life? Because I could have sworn it was just the other way around. You NEEDED me. If I hadn't decided to play along with your little charade, we wouldn't be having this conversation. You would be too busy being dead right now!"

Wyatt: "Well why are we having this conversation? You haven't talked for months. And now you can't SHUT UP?"

Chris narrowed his eyes, "Well now I have a lot to say. How could you do this? You could have taken them! And if you had given my powers back--WE could have taken them!"

Wyatt yelled back and couldn't seem to control the words that unconsciously slipped from his mouth, "BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE ALL OF MY ACTIVE POWERS ANYMORE!"

Chris was taken back in surprise, "How is that possible?"

Wyatt: "I don't know. Most of them-they just don't work anymore. Maybe the Elder's…"

Chris understood and grinned arrogantly, "Is that because they just won't give them to a demon? Have they been stripping your powers when then realized you had turned against EVERYTHING our family ever believed in? EVERYTHING our mother fought and died for?"

Wyatt pleaded with him to understand, "I'm not! There is just more to the simple black and white of good and evil. Don't you get it? This battle has been raging on for millennia. And neither side has been able to win or even get the upper hand. It's all pointless! The only way to win is to go above both sides. And to do that--you need followers. People, demons, witches, whatever--on your side. I have to build an army to do that. And right now, Tem'al is the best way to get it!"

Chris glared at him in disbelief, "Oh, I get it. You're trying to take his place? Become the next Source?"

Wyatt huffed in frustration, "NO! I have no interest in being the Source. I have no interest in taking one side or the other when neither will ever win. Don't you see? This is what I was born for--to bring an end to it all--under ONE rule. That's why all of magic stopped the day I was born. It was a sign--that I am supposed to be the one to unite all of magic--good and evil."

Chris shook his head again in disbelief, "This isn't you, Wyatt. You never used to think like that. When did you start believing in all of this crap?"

Wyatt: "I've always thought like this, Chris. As far back as I can remember. Every demon I saw come into our home and try to kill our family--always loosing a fruitless battle. Until the Power of Three was broken, then the other side lost. And I'm not going to fight during my entire existence just to end up on the loosing team. I'm simply not going to be on one or the other."

Chris: "Wyatt, you can't not pick a side. There's always going to be good and evil fighting against each other."

Wyatt: "We'll see about that…"

'------'

Phoebe was astounded by what she had seen. "Wow. I had no idea he was so…"

Chris filled in the blank for her, "Delusional? Yeah. Neither did I."

Phoebe cautiously broached another topic, "So…You didn't fast forward or anything like that, did you?"

Chris: "No. Nothing else happened. I think he just really enjoyed messing with my head. It's just…I've never felt so out of control in my whole life as I did that day. I mean even before…you know, at least then--I had an excuse. I couldn't move. But this time, I just gave in. "

Phoebe: "But you did it to ensure your survival. There's nothing wrong with that. We all do things we'd rather not do for just that very reason. Did I ever tell you about the time when Cole and I were in the Underworld?"

Chris laughed, "Which time?"

Phoebe: "Oh, ha ha. Funny. I mean the time that your mother actually died?"

Chris became serious again, "How is that possible if Wyatt and I were born?"

Phoebe said wistfully, "It was when your Aunt Prue died. Piper had been killed while we were down in the Underworld, and Leo had come down to come find us, so he couldn't heal her--"

Chris rolled his eyes scornfully, "What, he couldn't be bothered to come and heal his own wife? What a surprise--now there's a new one."

Phoebe ignored his outburst, "My point is, in order to save her--the Source gave us a choice. I could give up everything I had ever known and stay down there in the Underworld, or come back here and let her stay dead. It was a difficult choice, but I chose to stay there to save her life. I did what I had to do."

Chris was intrigued, "Then how did you get out?"

Phoebe flipped her wrist forward, "Oh, that's a whole 'nother story. But like me, you did what you had to do in order to survive in an unknown situation. And if the way you laid into Wyatt the second they left was any indication, you were anything but out of control." She suddenly had another thought, "Why do you think he didn't use Excalibur that day?"

Chris already knew the answer and didn't have to think about it, "He hadn't exactly mastered it yet. In fact, he hadn't even known about its existence until he was nineteen. Leo made sure of that; said it was mom's wish for him to have a normal childhood."

Phoebe nodded in understanding. She remembered the discussion that Piper had with all of them after the Mordaunt incident; she hadn't wanted him to know until adulthood. "So did Wyatt ever get all of his powers back?"

Chris thought about how much he should reveal to her. He decided on a simple answer, "Yes." To himself, he thought 'as soon as he killed all of the Elders'

TBC…..

Do You Really Want to Know?

Chapter 7

By: teallover

AN: Someone else asked in a review, and I did respond personally. But for everyone else who read and got the gist of what I was saying in Ch. 5, --Just a recap--there is NO INCEST involved in any of my stories-cause that's just, well ewwww. The demons made a joke to embarrass chris & wyatt more than they already were. So, now that I've cleared that up….

'-----'

Phoebe's eyes shot up, "What?"

Chris: "What?"

Phoebe: "When I asked you about his powers, you projected something, really strong-then you blocked me out. What are you hiding?"

Chris: "Future consequences, remember?"

Phoebe: "Don't give me that. You've shown me this much, and you've already sworn me to secrecy. So I really don't think that's a factor anymore."

Chris nodded, "Ok. I see your point. The next day, Wyatt killed the Elders. That's when he got his powers back."

Phoebe was confused, "But I thought the Titans killed the Elders?"

Chris: "No, they killed the _original _Elders. After that, Leo and a few other Whitelighters in the area went on a search to find other Whitelighters across the world, and a lot of them were in hiding. It took a few years, but when I was about six, Leo and a lot of the others he found banded together to become Elders. So it wasn't actually my idea to make him an Elder when I came back. I just sped things up a bit."

Phoebe: "But Leo was an Elder. Why was he spared?"

Chris grinned sardonically, "He had the _unfortunate pleasure _of being preoccupied with _me _at the time." At her questioning glance, he added, "Too hard to explain. Just see for yourself…" as they were taken into another memory…

'-----'

After a long and exhausting day of planning with Tem'al for his assignment, Wyatt returned home only to be met by his brother drawing him into yet another lengthy argument. When he started to envision his fingers moving of their own accord to encircle his neck--he thought he had better walk away before he did something he may regret later. He stormed off to his own bedroom and slammed the door, silencing his brother and their "conversation".

An hour later, Chris found himself wanting to leave the apartment for the first time in months. He crept through the hallway and peered into his brother's room, breathing a sigh of relief to find him asleep. He knew he couldn't orb, or Wyatt would definitely sense him and force him to return. He crept back through the house and straight out of the front door.

Wandering through the streets late at night, Chris eventually found himself in a park in an unfamiliar town. He thought about everything that he had been through in the past several months, and sat down in despair. He had to get away from his brother's lunacy, so in a last ditch effort, he called for the one person in his life that could never remember being able to count on. "DAD! Please? I need your help. Please don't ignore me this time. I need you…" His head spun around hopefully, seeing a flash of light behind him. He rested his head in his hands seeing that it was only the headlights from a passing car. "Why do you never come when I call?"

"I'm here now, son."

Chris' head shot up in surprise, "DAD! I need your help…"

Leo looked down at his youngest son compassionately, "How are you, Chris?"

Chris: "I'm ok. But I won't be if you don't help me."

Leo looked concerned, "What do you mean?"

Chris pleaded with him, "You have to take me back up there with you. I can't stay here. There's no where here on earth I can hide from him."

Leo: "Chris, Wyatt will protect you. He won't let that bastard come near you again."

Chris laughed maniacally, "Wyatt is the bastard I'm talking about. Don't you get it, Dad? Wyatt has changed, turned. He even bound my powers so I couldn't fight back."

Leo sighed, "Chris, if Wyatt found it necessary to bind your powers, it was because he didn't want you getting into any more situations like that. He loves you, and he just want's to keep you safe. That's all we both want for you. For you to be safe and happy…"

Chris: "Safe! The only way I'll be safe is if he can't sense me. And he can't sense me if I'm up there with you. Every time I orb, he'll find me and bring me back. And if I step out of line in front of his little cult--he'll hand me over to them again. So I'm most definitely not safe! And sure as hell not happy!"

Leo tried to be patient with his son but grew angrier with each accusation, "Chris. Why do you persist with these fabrications! Now I know you're hurting right now, but making up these terrible lies and alienating Wyatt is not going to make you feel any better!"

Chris: "WHY DON'T YOU EVER BELIEVE ME! I'm telling you the truth! Wyatt is trying to take over the world! He's under some misguided delusion that he's supposed to unite all of magic--good and evil."

Leo stood up infuriated, "CHRIS! Just STOP IT! Right now! I will not listen to anymore of this. Now I know that Wyatt has some issues with me and the way I've parented you both, and I think it's obvious now that you do too. But that doesn't mean--"

Chris stood up flailing his arms wildly, "Why would I lie about any of this, Dad! I have no reason to, unless it was true. Just please--Just take me with you. And I'll show you."

Leo shook his head sadly, "Chris, you know you're not allowed up there. I wish I could, but I can't take you with me. But Wyatt will be here with you. And he'll help you get through this, if you just let him." He reached out to put his arms around his youngest.

Chris shook him off, "NO! You're not LISTENING to me! Wyatt was the one who put me through this in the first place. And he was perfectly willing to do it again yesterday! Did you know they came back? Threatened us both? And he knew they were coming--"

Leo: "Chris--"

Chris: "Don't you pay attention anymore! If you had, you would know what's been going on down here. Don't you even bother to watch over us like you promised Mom? Or do you just not care?"

Leo reached for him, "Of course I care…"

Chris brushed him away and started walking off, "Forget it. You know, Wyatt was right. He IS the closest thing I've ever had to a father. And I can't even trust him. So I guess I just don't have any family left."

Leo: "Chris, don't go, please?"

Chris: "By the way, LEO--If the next time you come to see me I happen to be dead by Wyatt's hands; Don't say I didn't tell you so."

Leo remained in stunned silence as he watched his son walk off hurriedly. Exhausted, he dropped down on the bench and thought about how badly their conversation went. And for Chris to go to such lengths to get his attention, it was obvious to him that the boy needed some guidance before it was too late. 'Maybe he does need to be up there with me.' "That's it! I'm going to talk to the others. They have to let him come." His mind made up, he orbed up there to plead his son's case.

When Leo arrived, he stood in open-mouthed shock. The entire place was smoldering in ruins. The smell of singed flesh permeated the air.

In the short time that he had been arguing with his son, they were all gone-- not a single Elder or Whitelighter left alive. With one exception, of course. Leo Wyatt was now officially the last of his kind.

'-------'

Chris: "After the fight with Leo, I just kept wandering around until the sun came up. Then I finally realized that I didn't have anywhere else to go. The Manor wasn't really my home anymore. And I couldn't remember how I got to the park, so I orbed in place a couple of times. And sure enough, Wyatt found me a few minutes later. We actually walked back to the apartment. He used telekinesis to close the door. And that's when I knew. The only way he could have gotten them back is if the Elder's were dead. He just laughed at the look on my face."

Phoebe: "Why did he want to eliminate the Elders?"

Chris: "I actually think that was the job that he gave him, but Wyatt was only too happy to accommodate since he wanted his powers back."

Phoebe: "Who, Leo?"

Chris shook his head in frustration, "No. _Him_. You know who I mean."

Phoebe nodded. She was starting to understand much of his behavior. The guarded, secretive, and self-relying nature that seemed inherent in his personality wasn't due to future consequences as he often stated. It was merely his way of coping with what happened. If no one was allowed to get close to you--then no one could hurt you.

The very fact that he couldn't even mention the demon by name, told her that he had never really dealt with the issues, only suppressed them. But then again, if Leo turned his back, and Wyatt was responsible, then there must have been no one in his life that could help him through it. She was now more determined then ever to make things right for him.

TBC…..

Do You Really Want to Know?

Chapter 8

By: teallover

'-----'

The following day, Phoebe stayed home again while Chris went on his usual hunt.

Leo orbed in to the attic. "Phoebe, I talked to the others. I had to go through a lot of different sources to get the information."

Phoebe: "Well? What did you find out?"

Leo: "He's an upper level demon and he already has an extensive group of followers, both low and mid level demons. If you're looking to vanquish him you're going to need the Power of Three."

Phoebe cursed under her breath. How was she supposed to get Piper and Paige to vanquish him if she couldn't tell them why she wanted him vanquished.

Leo seemed to sense her agitation and dilemma, "Why don't we just tell them?"

Phoebe responded a little too quickly and roused his suspicions, "No! I mean, I'll figure something out. Just don't say anything to any of them."

Leo nodded reluctantly, "How's Chris?"

Phoebe looked up as she tried to gauge her nephew's mental state. "He's--ok. But he'll be doing even better as soon as I can figure out a way to vanquish Tem'al." She suddenly had a thought, "Leo--I have an idea. And don't say no until you hear me out…." She spun around excitedly as she began to explain her idea.

-------

Leo shook his head in doubt, "I don't know Phoebe. That's pretty extreme. I don't see why you don't just---"

Phoebe interrupted him irritably, "Because I can't Leo! I made a promise that I intend to keep. And I can't elaborate on that. All I _can_ tell you, is that it's for Chris. And it will go a long way toward resolving those issues he has with you. Just trust me on this, ok?"

Leo was excited at the prospect of resolving things with Chris, so he readily agreed. "Ok. Look, they're calling me, so I have to go right now. But call me before you do anything."

Phoebe nodded absently, intent on rewriting the spells for her idea.

-----

Piper sat in the rocking chair in the conservatory, as it seemed to calm the somersaults the baby like to do all day. She patted her belly and began whispering softly to him, "I wish you would just talk to me."

Chris walked up behind her quietly, "Mom, he's still breathing fluid, so that may take a while"

Piper: "Chris, you startled me. Where did you come from?"

He gave her a cheeky grin and pointed to her stomach.

Piper rolled her eyes sarcastically, "Yes. Thank you. In case I didn't already know why my stomach is the size of a basketball. You are such a smartass, you know that? Did you get that from Paige?"

Chris: "No, I got that from you, "Ms.-my-stomach's-the-size-of-a-basketball."

Piper: "Uh huh. So hey, I wanted to ask you--"

Chris sucked his teeth, "No. I already told you. I can't tell you what happens in the future"

Piper: "I wasn't going to ask you that again. I would just like to know what's going on between you and your father?"

Chris said angrily, "He's not my father."

Piper looked worried, "But you said---"

Chris: "I know what I said. Yes, biologically, he contributed to my existence, but he's only ever been Wyatt's _father_, not mine."

Piper tried to reason with him, "Chris, he hasn't done anything yet."

Chris: "Give him time, and he'll be sure to screw things up."

Piper: "Why won't you at least give him a chance?"

Chris folded his arms and stood in front of her defiantly, "Because he's never given me one."

Piper stood up to face her son as he turned his head and tried to tune her out. She grabbed his chin to make him look at her, "Chris? Honey--Whatever is bothering you, you can talk to me. You know that right?"

Chris stared into his mothers tear-filled eyes and immediately regretted speaking so harshly to her. In a softer voice, "Look, mom. I'm sorry. There is really nothing to talk about. And even if there was--it has nothing to do with you. You were a terrific mom; the best even. The only person in my life that I could ever really count on."

Piper wrapped him in her arms tightly, "Oh, honey. I'm so sorry. You know I'll do my best to always be there for you. Because you're my son, and I love you. You know that, right?"

Chris smiled sadly, knowing that her best just wasn't good enough. She would still die and leave him alone. But he didn't dare tell her that. He didn't want to risk hurting her. "Yeah mom. I know you will. I love you too." He pulled out of her warm embrace and orbed out in search of something to take his mind off of his depressing thoughts. 'Hmm. A good vanquish ought do it."

-----

Later that night, Chris met up with Phoebe at P-3 again for the third night in a row.

Phoebe: "Chris, just before you saw Leo the night the Elder's were killed--what were you and Wyatt fighting about? It was different then all of the other memories. It was muted somehow--like I couldn't get a clear signal on what was being said."

Chris: "That's probably because I don't remember. I don't even remember what the fight was about--Nor any of the numerous others. And in the scheme of things, I don't think it even really mattered. I picked a fight with him--because--well, just because it felt _so_ good! And the best part--was that I could get to Wyatt."

Phoebe smiled, "What do you mean, _get to him_"

Chris: "Well, I still had to pretend when any of the other's came around. But when it was just me and Wyatt--I could get to him. I could push--_every_ single button that he ever possessed. I could irritate him to no end. Make him mad as hell everytime I opened my mouth. Challenging him at every opportunity when we were alone."

Phoebe asked worriedly, "But, weren't you afraid that you might push him too far?"

Chris: "Nope. I came to see that he wouldn't even raise his hand to me as long as I didn't do the same. But he _would _turn red with fury; stomp around the apartment; slam doors; toss furniture and other appliances across the room; even scream in frustration." He grinned proudly, "And _I _did all of that to him. Me. Little ole' Christopher Halliwell--reduced the Great Wyatt Halliwell, rising star of the Underworld--to a petulant-bratty kid. I don't even think he even realized what I was doing to him. Or why…"

Phoebe: "I don't see how he couldn't. You seem to have that effect on people, in particular, Leo."

Chris: "Yeah, well. He never understood either. No one does."

Phoebe: "I wouldn't exactly say that. I do understand why you feel the need to challenge people or get the upper hand. And I'm not saying that it's a bad thing…"

Chris suddenly got defensive, "Then what are you saying?"

Phoebe: "Just that I understand why you do it. It gives you control back into a situation where you've felt you didn't have any, because--well because you couldn't have stopped what happened to you."

Chris stared at the grooves in the floor as he slowly absorbed her words. He had never really given any thought to why he always felt the need to challenge and provoke others when he felt he was loosing control of a situation. He searched his mind and tried to recall when he had started that particular behavior. He just kept reverting back to the night he fought with Wyatt after the Elder's were killed. His eyes widened in realization--there _were _none before that. He wasn't always like this. "I didn't use to be like that. I guess Wyatt gave me a whole new look on life."

Phoebe took his hand and caressed it gently, "It doesn't always have to be like that. Isn't that why you came back? To change things?"

Chris: "Yes, it does, Phoebe. I don't think you understand. The way I am--What you see is what you get. There's nothing you can do to erase what I've become or the reason's that underlie it. If I succeed--one of two things will happen. I will either disappear because the timeline I come from ceases to exist. Or I will go back to the new _wonderful _future with everything you see in front of you--bag and baggage." Sounding extremely depressed, he continued, "Because I'm out of my timeline, when and if I get there--everyone will have changed. Except for me. I'll still remember--everything." He reached up telekinetically and turned off the light to signal the end of their exhausting conversation, "Good night Phoebe."

TBC…..

Do You Really Want to Know?

Chapter 9

#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#

Sometime during the night, Phoebe was startled awake by a sudden shift on the bed. Her eyes adjusted to the dark as they sought out the thrashing figure in front of her. When he began mumbling something incoherent, she leaned in closer, hoping to make some bit of sense of his words. Her heart sank in realization that he was apparently trapped in some ghastly nightmare of his time in Valhalla. She shook him gently and called his name in the hopes of saving him from further reliving the event repeatedly in his sleep.

Unfortunately, her touch sent him spiraling further into his nightmare. Chris bolted upright, eyes frantically scanning the room. He didn't seem to recognize his surroundings even as she leaned in to calm him. He flicked his wrists quickly and sent her crashing out of the bed and nearly halfway across the room.

A bit dazed, she picked herself up and moaned softly. "Chris, it's me, Phoebe. I'm not gonna' hurt you."

Chris seemed fully awake now and realized what he had done. His hands flew up to his mouth in shock, "Ohhhh. Oh Phoebe--I am so sorry. I didn't mean to. Please forgive me. I didn't--"

Phoebe held her head and tried to smile through the pain, which ended up looking like more of a grimace. "It's ok, Chris. I'm fine. Don't worry about it, I've got a hard head. And I don't break that easily. Besides, if you recall--just six short months ago, I fell off of the roof of a building, so I think I can handle falling off of a bed."

Chris: "But you didn't fall of the bed, I pushed you. And I'm so sorry, Phoebe. I never meant to hurt you. I knew this was a bad idea…"

Phoebe: "No, it's not a bad idea. A few bumps in the road are to be expected. Give yourself time. It's only been a few days."

Chris shook his head adamantly, "No. We can't do this anymore. You'll just end up getting hurt. Just let me do what I came here to do and I'll deal with this on my own, OK? I'm sorry."

Phoebe: "No--not OK. Listen to me Chris. Don't run away from this now, or you'll never be ok. You need to find closure on all of these issues or that's not going to happen."

Chris jumped up and paced the floor angrily, "There are no _ISSUES _Phoebe!"

Phoebe: "Oh really. Is that why I just landed on my ass! Chris--you said it yourself. When you change things--you'll go back to the future exactly as you are now. Do you really want to carry all of this with you?"

Chris ignored her question, "I also said that I could disappear. And if that happens, then none of this makes a damn bit of difference anyway."

Phoebe tried to hide the surprise on her face, "Is that what you were hoping for?"

Chris sat back down on the bed, "NO! I don't know. Maybe."

Phoebe moved to sit next to him, "I know you don't want that. You wouldn't have tried so hard to make sure you had been conceived if you really wanted that."

Chris: "I needed to come back and fix things. I had to warn you guys. If I wasn't born, I couldn't do that. And the world would be destroyed because of me."

Phoebe: "Then why did you ask Bianca to marry you if that was the only reason?"

Chris: "Well maybe it wasn't at first. But she's dead now, so it doesn't really matter."

Phoebe: "But she won't be once you change things. Wouldn't you like to go back with a fresh start? "

Chris turned to her, "I guess that would be cool. But with everything that's happened, that's just not possible."

Phoebe thought carefully about her next words. She didn't want to alert him to her plan and quite possible scare him off. "What if Tem'al was dead?"

Chris gave her a distant but satisfied smile, "He's already dead. Well, not right now. But he will be. Probably about a year after he started working from him, Wyatt killed him when he took over his army. Not a quick death either I heard. I just wish I could have been there to see it."

Phoebe's heart leapt at his admission. She knew she was doing the right thing now. "Uh, what about your father?"

Chris: ""What about Leo?"

Phoebe: "Did you ever get the chance to talk to him again after that night in the park?"

Chris glared at her through narrowed eyes, "No. And it's no big loss either. I never needed him. Except maybe to be born. And I don't need him now."

Phoebe: "Chris, I hear what you're saying. But that's not what I'm feeling from you. Maybe if you just talked to him? The Leo of this time?"

Chris: "_NO WAY_! I'm not telling him about any of this. None of them, Phoebe! And don't even _think _about saying anything to them. I can't save Wyatt and the future if any of them know."

Phoebe: "I won't say anything. But would it be so bad if the rest of your family knew too? You--did--nothing--wrong. They would understand. And they would help. If they knew what the future was like, they would be more concerned with trying to fix it. They would work night and day; do anything to spare you from going through any of that again."

Chris paused for a few moments to think about it before answering. "No Phoebe. I've made my decision. I'll deal with it ok." He rose from the bed, "Now get some sleep."

Phoebe grabbed his arm, "Wait, where are you going?"

Chris: "I'm going to get a head start on tomorrow."

Phoebe looked at the clock on the wall and shook her head. "It's 3 am, Chris. What could you possible accomplish right now that can't wait until morning?"

Chris: "I can't sleep right now anyway. I may as well do something useful."

Phoebe: "You are doing something useful. You're talking through it. But I also think you need to get some sleep." She patted the bed and held up the sheets, "Now come on. You'll think clearer with a little bit of sleep under your belt. You need this right now." She yawned as she watched his conflicting emotions cycle across his face, "…And so do I. Please?"

Nodding reluctantly, he climbed back into bed. Both Halliwell's slept peacefully for the night.

TBC…..

Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and for the wonderful encouragement.

Do You Really Want to Know?

Chapter 10

AN: I "borrowed" 2 spells from the show & modified them slightly for my purpose (cause I suck at ryhming). Oh, and there's a couple of curses here, but nothing you won't hear on the subway :)

'-----'

The next day, Phoebe reached for the phone in the kitchen. "Hi, Elise? Did you get the column I sent? Great. Yeah, I'll be here again today. Thanks, I'll e-mail it as soon as I get it done this afternoon. I'll talk to you later. Bye."

After hanging up the phone, Phoebe blew out a nervous breath. 'Today's the day.'

Upstairs in the attic, Phoebe paced the floor anxiously after calling her brother-in-law. She grumbled to herself, "Where is he?" She yelled again out of frustration, "LEO!"

Leo orbed in surrounded by blue lights and golden robes, "Blessed be, Phoebe."

Phoebe nodded impatiently, "Yeah, Yeah. I need you to do what we talked about now."

Leo frowned, "Are you sure about this? They can help you know."

Phoebe: "Yes, I'm sure about this. And they will be helping; in their own way. Now are you sure you can keep Paige from orbing back here?"

Leo smiled proudly, "Of course. I'm an Elder. She's only half-whitelighter. I can make it so they're stuck with me until you call again."

Phoebe: "Good. And don't worry, I'll handle Piper later and Paige will understand." She stared at him for a moment before she realized that he was waiting for the final go ahead. She clapped her hands together, "Chop Chop. Get Going!"

He orbed downstairs immediately and surprised Piper.

Piper: "Leo. What are you doing here?"

Leo: "Family matter. I need you and Wyatt to come with me for a little bit."

Piper cocked her head to the side curiously, "Come with you where? And why for that matter? And more importantly, what about Chris? If it's a family matter, shouldn't he be involved?"

Leo: "I'll explain everything when we get there." As Piper started to protest again, he touched her arm and spirited her away.

After retrieving Wyatt and Paige, he deposited all three "Up There" to wait with the other Elders before returning to the attic.

Phoebe: "All set?"

Leo: "Yeah. Piper was pretty angry when I dropped her off without an explanation."

Phoebe: "I'm sorry about that Leo, but it can't be helped. I need them out of the way for a little while."

Leo: "Let me help you Phoebe."

Phoebe: "Thanks, Leo. But, I've got it covered. And you _are _helping me. And you can help me even more if you go back up there with Paige, Piper, and Wyatt until I call you. Just tell them I'll explain as much as I can later."

Leo: "Piper's not going to accept that."

Phoebe giggled a bit, "I know she won't. That's why I would recommend that you either hide from her when you get back, or sprinkle some sleeping dust on her."

Leo touched her arm in a show of support, "Good luck. Call if you need help or if things get out of hand. Because your sisters will kill me if anything happens to you."

Phoebe smiled and hugged him, "Don't worry, Leo. Everything is going to be just fine. Maybe even better than fine by the time this is all over."

Phoebe:  
"Here these words.  
Hear my cry  
and heed the hope within my mind...  
Sprits from the other side  
forward in place and time,  
Come to me, I summon thee  
Cross now this even greater divide"

Phoebe bent over and lit the candles just before reciting the modified spell. Moments later, two swirls of light coalesced in the center of the circle of candles. There stood two of her sisters, looking as radiant as ever in death as they were in life.

Phoebe welcomed them with open arms as they stepped out of the circle to become corporeal. "Paige, Piper. It's good to see you guys."

Paige laughed as she stepped up to embrace her only living sister, "It's good to see you too, Phoebe. But isn't this a little "against the rules"? Bringing back spirits across time?"

Phoebe: "Rules? Since when have we Halliwell's ever followed any rules?"

Paige nodded, "True."

Phoebe: "Do you have any idea why I summoned you here?"

Paige and Piper glanced at each other in confusion. "Nope." "Not exactly."

Phoebe: "Ok. I want to vanquish a demon that requires the Power of Three, but I CANNOT under any circumstances let Paige and Piper of this time know what I'm doing. And I figured that since you are already dead, you would know why I'm doing this, therefore I wouldn't have to say anything and--"

Paige held out her hands with a stop gesture, "Phoebe, you're babbling. Ok. So who is this demon, why is he so important, and why can't you tell your present sisters?"

Phoebe: "His name is Tem'al. Have you ever heard of him?" Pausing for a brief moment, "Ok. From the murderous looks you both just gave me, I take it you do know him? Good, because that will make my job that much easier. Do I need to explain my reasonings?"

Paige stared down at the floor and whispered faintly, "…no…" Her head shot up with a sudden thought, "But how do you know? From the way you look, I'm guessing that we're somewhere around 2004? And if that's true, Piper would still be pregnant with--uh. You do know who I'm talking about right? Cause if you don't, I don't want to give anything away."

Phoebe: "Yes. We're talking about Chris. Piper and Leo's second son, yours and my nephew."

Paige: "How do you know him? A premonition?"

Phoebe: "No. He showed me."

Paige looked confused, "What? From the womb?"

Phoebe: "No. He's here. And I cast a spell a few days ago to allow me to see why he was so upset."

Paige's hand flew up against her heart as it skipped a beat, "Our Chris? He's here? Oh thank goodness. We had no idea what happened to him over the past year. We knew he wasn't dead because he wasn't with us, but we were scared to death--literally, that Wyatt had done something to him."

Piper had been quite up until this point as she stepped further away from the circle. "Don't you mean something _else_?" She continued over to the window and wrapped her arms around herself protectively as she turned to Phoebe, "…then you saw? You saw what those bastards did to my baby boy?"

Phoebe couldn't speak through the lump that suddenly formed in her throat. She nodded and swiped at the tears that unwillingly fell from her lashes. Forcing her lips to move, she finally spoke. "He only showed me parts of it. But I--I saw enough."

Paige squeezed her eyes shut and tried to blink away the tears that fell freely from her own eyes. She walked over to her eldest sister and wrapped her arms around her comfortingly as Piper cried into her shoulder. She reached up and stroked that back of Pipers hair as she allowed her sister to grieve for hers son's suffering.

Phoebe stood back timidly watching the scene before her and didn't want to intrude. It was obvious to her that this was a familiar routine from the way that Paige knew to comfort her sister. She knew when she decided to do this, that it was going to be difficult, but she had no idea just how difficult until today. So immersed was she in her thoughts, that she didn't hear Paige speak again.

Paige: "You would be the lucky one of all of us, Phoebe." At Phoebe's stunned look, she elaborated. "You only saw glimpses of a memory. But we were there. Through everything. We've been with him ever since we died. And when they--Well we stayed with him in the hopes that he could somehow feel our presence enough to give him the strength to survive it. That's all we could do…"

Piper looked up angrily through her tears, "I'm his mother! And I couldn't help him. I couldn't stop what they did to him. After everything that we did for this world, in the end, what FUCKING GOOD did it do us to be Charmed when I couldn't even help my own son!"

Phoebe: "Piper, I'm so sorry. I can't even begin to imagine what that's like for you. And I know you couldn't help him then, but you can help him now. I want to vanquish Tem'al and all of his twisted little friends before they ever get the chance to lay a finger on that boy's head. Will you help me?"

Piper and Paige glanced at each other with a deadly determination before nodding in affirmation.

Piper: "Did you even need to ask?"

Phoebe smiled sinisterly with her hands on her hips. "I already made the vanquishing potion. I wasn't sure if spirits still had any active powers when they become corporeal."

Paige: "Only one way to find out." She held out her hand, "Potion bottle!" When nothing happened, she cursed under her breath.

Phoebe: "Lets not throw in the towel yet. I'm sure we can make up a spell or something to borrow my Piper and Paige's powers."

Paige: "No, they'll be sitting ducks without any protection."

Phoebe: "Oh, they're sitting alright." She pointed to the ceiling, "Up there with Leo. None too happy about it either as I hear. But they're safe. Better still, they can't get into any trouble or find out what's going on down here without any powers."

Paige: "Hmm. Phoebes--plotting against your own sisters? Were you always this devious or have I just been out of the loop for too long?"

Phoebe just grinned innocently back at her baby sister.

#-₭#-₭#-₭#-₭#-₭#-₭#-₭#-₭#-₦lt;/p>

Phoebe was lighting an incense candle just after Piper and Paige recited a spell to temporarily commandeer their present selves powers.

Paige: "…don't feel any different. Piper?"

Piper: "Me neither. But like you said, only one way to find out." She turned and flicked her wrists at one of the tables. Nodding appreciatively when it exploded into tiny shards, she looked at Paige expectantly.

Paige: "Potion bottle!" She nearly rocked on her heels with excitement as the bottle materialized in her open palm. "Alright! We've got our powers. We've got the vanquishing potion. And we've got a Power of Three spell just in case. Looks like we're in business."

Phoebe: "Yeah. Only I think we need one more thing--and you're probably not going to like it, but I think it will help…"

Piper narrowed her eyes suspiciously, "What?"

Phoebe took a deep breath before mumbling, "Uh--Chris."

Piper nearly screamed her response, "WHAT! Are you telling me that you want my son to go down there and see him again? Do you have _ANY _idea how hard it was for him to face him the _second time_?"

Phoebe jumped in quickly, "Piper, just hear me out. I just think that if he is there to either be a part of it, or just witness the vanquishing, he'll feel a lot better. Especially seeing that justice was done."

Piper glared at her, "How _dare _you! You take a couple of Psychology classes down at the community college--which you didn't even finish by the way--and all of sudden, you're Dr. Sigmund Freud and know what's best for _MY CHILD!_?"

Phoebe's eyes flashed with fury at her oldest sister, "Well then maybe you've been out of the loop _WAY TOO LONG_, Piper. Because you can't see past your own hurt and anger to realize that he needs to be a part of this. He even told me himself that Tem'al is dead in his time, but he wished he could have seen him die."

Piper slapped her thigh angrily, "NO! I will not allow him to suffer any more than he already has."

Paige's eyes darted from one sister to the other at the angry words flying through the air. The atmosphere crackling with tension, she knew she had better intervene before things went too far. "Hey--there's no need for insults here. We need to calm down, or we're going to fail before we even begin."

Phoebe shook her head at her oldest sister's stubborn resolve, "You hate Tem'al for what he did to your son and you want to kill him! I get that! I feel it too, but what about what your son feels? What he wants? He wasn't given a choice back then. Give him one now, Piper."

Piper's anger seemed to dissipate. She pleaded with her sister exhaustedly, "You _weren't _there, Phoebe. You don't understand how hard it was for him to be in the same room with him--how terrified he was. It nearly broke him. How can I put him through that again?"

Paige: "Piper, I'm sorry. But I have to agree with Phoebe. I think he needs this closure. Along with a few other issues. In fact, since no one else has brought it up yet--after we vanquish Tem'al, I say we bring Leo here and kick his high-and-mighty Elder ass around a bit too."

Piper and Phoebe both chuckled at the thought of Paige laying into Leo.

Piper looked at Phoebe shyly, "I'm sorry honey. I didn't mean to lash out at you."

Phoebe reached out and gave her hand a squeeze, "I'm sorry too sweetie. I love you, you know that?"

Piper: "Yeah. Same here."

Paige: "And I love you both. So now that we've gotten all of that out of our systems, what have you decided Piper? You spent _all _those months pregnant with Chris and _all _those hours in labor with him, so I think it should be your call."

Piper bit her lip in consternation while she debated the question. Thinking about it only seemed to upset her again. She wiped the fresh tears from her face as her sisters both wrapped their arms around her for comfort.

Piper: "I guess you're right. We should let Chris decide."

"Decide what?"

So wrapped up in their own grief, none of the sisters heard Chris orb in. They all turned and stared at him at being caught unaware.

On the opposite side of the room, Chris folded his arms and eyed the three sisters suspiciously. "What's going on?"

Only the oldest sister was able to move. Piper reached out for her son and couldn't control the tears in her eyes at seeing him, being in the same room--close enough to touch him, for the first time in nearly a decade. She rushed forward to meet him but stopped abruptly when he took a few cautious steps backward.

Chris scrutinzed the dry tear tracks on all of their faces. The red, puffy, and swollen eyes. The guilty and sympathetic looks on their faces--and he knew at once. They knew. They knew what happened. Shaking his head in disbelief, he reached up and ran his hands through his hair as the anger built inside of him. "No. No. No. Nonono--DAMN IT PHOEBE! YOU SWORE TO ME!!! HOW COULD YOU! I _TRUSTED _YOU!"

Piper reached again for his hand and tried to calm him but he snatched his hand away.

Chris backed away from her, "DON'T TOUCH ME! JUST LEAVE ME THE HELL ALONE! ALL OF YOU!"

Phoebe: "Chris, you don't understand--please, listen to me? They're--"

Chris interrupted, "I don't want to hear _anything _you have to say! It'll just be _more lies _again! You know what--I came back to save our family. Prevent everything that's happened; even stop you from going crazy! But you know what? I don't give a damn anymore. You can stay there and rot for all I care!"

Piper tried to reach yet again for son, but he orbed out too quickly. She turned hysterically to her sisters. "We have to find him! Explain things. Paige can you orb--please tell me you can orb?"

Paige closed her eyes in concentration. A moment later, she frowned. "No! I don't know why, maybe I could only get the wiccan powers from her. Or maybe I'm just out of practice. But Damn it--I _can't _orb! I think we need Leo." She started to call for him, but Phoebe clasped her hand over her mouth.

Phoebe: "No, not the Leo of this time. You saw how Chris reacted when he thought you knew. He probably didn't even notice that you're not the Piper and Paige of this time. If my Leo comes down here now, he simply won't accept leaving again without finding out what is going on. What we need is _your _Leo. Come on, we were going to do it anyway--it'll just be sooner now."

Piper: "Ok--fine. Let's summon that good for nothing, no good, son of a…"

TBC…..

AN: Wow, this whole story is a bit longer than I had anticipated, but it will be coming to a conclusion very soon. School starts up again soon and I hope to have it finished before then.

And as always, thank you to everyone who has reviewed and for the wonderful encouragement.


	3. Do You Really Want to Know? Ch 11 to 15

Do You Really Want to Know?

Chapter 11

**__**

(Now that the story is finished, I have combined the chapters into 4 parts. This is chapters 11-15)

By: teal-lover

Summary: Chris has a deeper reason why he hates Leo so much, and why he wants to save his brother so badly. Phoebe is determined to help him through his issues and find out what it is. WARNING--Rated "R" for violence and the mention of rape.

'-----'

Phoebe: "Ok, how are we going to summon Leo? Is he dead?"

Piper: "No, but he's gonna' wish he was. Let me see the spell you wrote to get us here. Pen please." She started crossing a few things out here and there, then handed Phoebe and Paige the revised version.

Paige: "Piper, are you sure you want to say this line?"

Piper narrowed her eyes indignantly, "What's wrong with it?"

Phoebe read her scribble and chuckled, "It's just that we might not get the right "jackass" we're looking for."

Pier snatched the piece of paper and re-worded it, "Alright. Will this work?"

Phoebe: "Yeah, I think that'll do it." She walked over to draw on the wall but Piper grabbed the chalk from her.

Piper walked over to the sofa and stared at her sisters as she started pushing it. "Don't just stand there, help me!"

Paige was a bit confused, "Where do you want it?"

Piper: "in the center of room."

After they had moved it, Piper climbed on top and began drawing a triquetra on the ceiling. When finished, she hopped down and examined her handiwork. Satisfied, she grabbed one end of the sofa, while her sisters grabbed the other and pushed it back into the corner of the room.

Paige covered her mouth to hide the grin and elbowed Phoebe as she realized what Piper had in mind.

The three sisters stood back away from the center of the circle and began chanting…

__

"Here these words,  
Hear our cries,  
And heed the hope within our minds,  
Husband, father, from futures past,  
In this time, we summon thee  
As never have we done before,  
Come forth and settle here,  
Come now, through this door."

When done, the triquetra on the ceiling illuminated briefly before it opened itself to the future. Moments later, flailing arms, legs, and a muffled grunt accompanied a disheveled figure as it tumbled out and landed face first on the floor.

A bit disoriented from the fall, the figure's eyes found it difficult to focus on anything except for the foot tapping impatiently on the floor in front of him. The further up his eyes traveled, the more he recognized the body that the foot belonged to. The arms folded in front of her made him question whether or not he wanted to look up further into her face. But he did it anyway out of curiosity. He knew that look. He'd seen it hundreds of time before when she faced off with demons. Fortunately, it had never been directed at him before--that is until now.

Piper: "Hello Leo. Nice of you to _drop in_."

He did his best to cover the surprise in his voice. "Piper?"

She reached down and grabbed the front of his collar and yanked him up off the floor with surprising strength. "Don't you Piper me. You are _so_ lucky that I need you to find my son right now, or I would---" She shoved him and screamed in frustration as she blew up a table next to where he was standing.

Phoebe cautioned her, "Piper--we need him." She grabbed Leo's arm and spun him around none to gently to face her, "If you like all of your body parts where they are, I recommend you keep your mouth shut and just find Chris and take us to him."

Leo stuttered, "I-I can't"

Piper advanced on him, "What do you mean _you can't?_ I'm not exactly giving you an option--because that was NOT A REQUEST!"

Leo turned to her looking extremely distressed as he babbled uncharacteristically, "I'm so sorry Piper--I've already tried--This is all my fault--I should've listened to him--and now it's too late because he's…." His voice trailed off as he sunk to his knees.

Paige was the first to notice, or perhaps care; how haggard he looked. Despite being immortal, he seemed to have aged 20 years since she had last seen him. His clothes were torn, singed, and just plain dirty.

Paige moved to kneel down in front him.

Piper threw her hands up impatiently, "We don't have time for this!!!"

Paige silenced her with a glare before questioning him, "He's what, Leo?"

Leo looked up tried to focus on her face through the salty tears in his eyes, "…He's. He's dead."

Paige shook her head, "No, he's not Leo. Why would you think that?"

Leo: "Wyatt. I saw him--I saw the hologram. Wyatt showed me. She took him back there--and he killed him. He killed his own little brother. He said he wasn't safe…"

Phoebe seemed to be the only one in the room that knew what he was referring to. But after what he had done, she just couldn't find it in her heart to feel any sympathy for him. She replied with a bitter intonation, "Bianca? Leo, listen. She did take him back--but he didn't die. I don't know what Wyatt showed you, but he was screwing with your head. Chris escaped and came back here. And if you _really _did try to find him, then you just didn't know _when _to look."

Leo looked up in confusion, carefully avoiding the angry eyes of his son's mother.

Phoebe: "You're in 2004, Leo. And so is he."

Leo was really confused now. He knew that Paige and Piper looked exactly the way they did when they died.

Paige anticipated his question, "Yep. We're still dead, Leo."

Piper: "Look, none of this matters right now. I need for you to GET UP AND FIND MY SON--because he's _here_, he's _alive_, and he _needs _me! Now get your sorry ass in gear, and start sensing for him--right now!"

Phoebe leaned in and whispered to Paige, "Is it just me, or is a dead Piper more scary than a live Piper?"

Paige: "She's had a _very _long time to dwell on being pissed."

Leo stumbled up quickly and sensed for his son with a new found hope. His eyes lit up as he realized that they were right. He held out his hands for the sisters to orb them to Chris.

Before leaving, Piper pinched his arm, "I'll deal with you later."

#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-

Leo orbed the three sisters to the peak of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Not used to such heights, the only ones comfortable with it seemed to be Chris and Leo.

The sisters clung tightly to each other as they cautiously made their way over to Chris, who heard the orbs and immediately backed away from them, "What are you doing here? Don't you ever listen?"

Leo reached for his youngest, but Piper slapped his hand down possessively.

Piper: "BACK OFF!"

Chris sneered, "You should take your own advice, Piper."

Piper: "Chris, Honey--You didn't give us a chance to explain--"

Chris: "Nothing I need to hear from any of you anyway"

Phoebe was getting nervous watching him, "Chris--please stop backing up. You're awfully close to that ledge."

Chris looked down quickly with a wry grin. He turned back to them with a slight gleam in his eyes, "I did my job. I warned you about Wyatt. Just remember Phoebe--this is on your hands."

He closed his eyes as he leaned back and free fell off the bridge. He heard their screams echoing above him, muffled by the sounds of the rushing wind.

TBC…..

AN: No--it doesn't end here-but in my defense, the next chapter was just too long to break it anywhere else:)

Do You Really Want to Know?

Chapter 12

By: teal-lover

Summary: Chris has a deeper reason why he hates Leo so much, and why he wants to save his brother so badly. Phoebe is determined to help him through his issues and find out what it is. WARNING--Rated "R" for violence and the mention of rape.

Disclaimer in part 1

#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#

As he was nearing the bottom, Chris smiled at the look on their faces when he jumped. He orbed himself down to safety where he crossed his arms and waited, as they would inevitably follow.

He didn't have to wait long because Leo orbed directly in front of him moments later.

Chris raised his eyebrows with a cocky grin at Leo's panicked expression. "You sure took your time about it--_Leo_. In a few more seconds, I would have gone splat! Very messy by the way."

Leo's fear quickly turned to anger, "You did that on purpose! Just to scare us?"

Chris: "Ahhh--You catch on quick, Elder. I did it to let you know just how serious I am about wanting to be left alone. Because if you don't--I will do it. Now, I don't know what they told you, but I see you didn't get the message--SO LEAVE ME ALONE!" He started to orb but Leo pulled him back.

Leo: "I know you're angry with me, but don't punish your Mom and Aunts for it."

Chris shook his head, "No, I'm done with you people. Now let go, Leo."

Leo: "No, Chris. I'm not sure what's going on here myself, but _I am _sure that if I let you leave, your mother is not going to be a happy camper." He reached into what was left of his robe. Inside, he had squirreled away anything left of the other elders that he could carry. He found the pouch of sleep dust and reached in to pull a handful out while he held Chris' arm with the other. He blew the dust into his sons face even as he apologized, "I'm really sorry about this, buddy."

When Chris realized what was coming toward him, he tried to back away or orb but wasn't quick enough. The dust reached his lungs just as he started to lunge for Leo. "You bas--", he cursed no further as he passed out in Leo's awaiting arms.

Leo held his son for a few minutes as he wept with relief for his safety, knowing full well that he wouldn't get that close again if Piper had her way. He leaned over and kissed his forehead gently as he noted how peaceful the young man looked. "I don't know if you can hear me or not, but I just wanted to say how sorry I am for everything. I love you, son." Not expecting a response, he reached under his knees to pick him up, "I'd better get you back to your mother before they jump down after you."

Leo orbed his sleeping son back to the top of the bridge where the Charmed Ones waited hysterically.

When Phoebe saw the limp figure in Leo's arms, she swayed and nearly passed out with grief as Paige caught her. "NO! I killed him…"

Leo: "No, he's just sleeping. He was going to run again, and then he'd be nearly impossible to find, so I gave him some sleeping dust."

Piper rushed over and started patting Chris down to check for any signs of injuries. She looked up a bit surprised to find none. "You caught him? He didn't hit?"

Leo: "No. He actually orbed down to safety, probably as soon as he thought we couldn't see him. I don't think he was trying to kill himself, just upset us."

Paige laughed through her tears, "Well he did a good job."

Phoebe was still in shock, "He's OK then?"

Leo smiled as he watched his son, "Yeah."

Phoebe sighed with relief as she tried to calm her palpitating heart. "Oh, thank goodness. I'm gonna strangle that boy when he wakes up."

Leo's face fell again at her words. "How is this possible? I saw Wyatt kill him. He had him pinned against the wall. Then he started to choke him and--Chris, he just hung there--"

Paige: "It was a trick, Leo. He's in your arms right now, so you know it wasn't true. So let's get back to the manor and maybe we'll talk about it later. We have to do what we came here for so that the Paige and Piper of this time can come back. Besides, being up here is making me nervous."

When they orbed back to the attic, Piper checked on Chris again and looked up worriedly, "Why isn't he waking up?"

Leo: "It'll wear off in a while; possibly up to a few hours."

Phoebe yelled, "A few hours! Damn, I was hoping to have him vanquished by then."

Leo looked up nervously.

Paige: "Not you, Leo. Well, at least I don't think so. She means Tem'al."

Leo: "Who?"

At the mention of his name, Piper's anger returned full force. She spun around suddenly and asked her sisters, "Phoebe, Paige--could you watch him until I get back?"

Piper started walking out of the door without turning to look back. She asked in a deceptively saccharine voice, "Leo, can I see you downstairs please?"

Phoebe nodded and muttered under her breath to Paige in a childlike taunt, "Uh ohhh. Somebody's gonna' get it."

Paige nodded in agreement, "What I wouldn't give to be a fly on that wall."

Leo barely heard Piper and instead focussed on his son's sleeping face.

When Piper saw the he didn't follow, she turned and yelled, "LEO!"

Reluctant to turn away and leave him, Leo stole one last wistful glance at his son before rising to follow Piper for what he knew would be a heated confrontation. But he knew how wrong he was, and so he expected her to be angry with him and to scream at him the second she thought they were out of earshot of the others.

What he didn't expect was to be knocked on his rear-end by her fist before he even had a chance to open his mouth.

Piper glared angrily as she hovered over him, "GET UP!"

Leo rubbed his jaw sorely where she hit him. He held one hand out in a stop gesture, "Piper, I don't want to fight with you--"

Piper cut him off with words of her own, "Oh, I'm sure you don't! That inherent survival instinct is kicking in."

Leo: "Please, Piper. I know you're angry with me, but--"

Piper snorted in disbelief, "Oh, you have no idea."

Leo rolled his eyes a bit, "I think I can take a guess. I'm sorry Piper--"

Piper leaned over and sneered, "Apology _not_ accepted. The way you treated my son is _INEXCUSABLE!"_

Leo started to rise, "_Our _son Piper."

Piper roughly pushed him back down as he landed with a thud. "NO! You gave up the right to claim him as your son when you abandoned him."

By this point Piper, was seething and spoke through clenched teeth. "--When you called him a liar after he _repeatedly _told you what Wyatt had done."

Her voice nearly spat venom when she added, "When you treated him as if he were some common _whore _who asked for what happened to him! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!!! He's supposed to be your son. So tell me why Leo? Is it because Wyatt's features favor your own? And Chris favor's mine? Do you hate me _that much_--that you would take it out on your own flesh and blood!!"

Leo mouthed to speak, but no words flowed from his gaping jaw. He shook his head rapidly trying to convey what his sudden inability to speak couldn't. It wasn't because he hated her; quite the opposite in fact. He forced his lips to obey his mind to try and plead with her, "No, Piper, that's not it. I am _so sorry_ for how I behaved. But you're only partially right--he does look like you. He's so much like you in every other way, too. And it's because I love you and missed you so much that I just couldn't bring myself to see you--but _not _you--in him. I didn't intend to--but I didn't know how to stop doing it."

Piper threw her hands up in disgust and started pacing the floor. "Oh! Save your PITIFUL excuses for someone who cares!!! You're a father first! You're children are supposed to come first above any misgivings or other _issues _that you have!"

Leo: "Piper please--"

Piper ignored him and continued ranting, "Where were you when Chris needed you? Where were you when that _little bastard son _of yours decided to sell my baby for the price of an army?"

Leo's eyes narrowed as he replied sarcastically, "Oh, so _that one _I can lay claim to?"

Piper held out her hands threatening to blow him up, "Don't you _dare _take that attitude with me!! You're the one who screwed up as a parent!"

Leo quickly stood up to avoid being shoved back down and shouted back, "You're the one who died and left us alone--"

Piper shouted back even louder, "I HAD TWO CHILDREN, NOT THREE! LAST I CHECKED--_YOU_ WEREN'T ONE OF THEM! Leo, I did what you always asked of me. I followed this stupid Charmed destiny; welcomed it even. I even accepted it when it got me and my sisters killed. But the least you could have done was to take care of my children when that happened. I asked you to do only _ONE _thing when they were born--and that was to take care of them if anything ever happened to me. YOU PROMISED ME YOU WOULD! If you hadn't abandoned them--one of them wouldn't have grown up to be a _psychotic lunatic _while the other had to suffer for it!"

Leo: "Piper, I did have other responsibilities to the rest of the world as an Elder…"

Piper fought back the tears as she thought back to her son's horrific night in Valhalla; of her feelings of helplessness coupled with her anxiety of waiting for Leo to swoop down from the clouds and rescue her son. "And you think that makes it alright?"

Her anger grew and caused her hand to strike out and slap him across his cheek, whipping his head around with such force that if he had not already been dead, he would have surely suffered a broken neck. "Chris _needed _you. If you had been paying attention "UP THERE" to your son instead of the rest of the world, you--could--have--stopped it. You would have heard him as he called out for you…" At his shocked look, she cocked her head to the side as she feigned surprise, "Oh, you didn't know? Well let me show you--"

Piper quickly recited a spell she had once garnered from the Phoebe of her time to force him to witness her memories.

She showed Leo in voluminous detail everything that she saw and could not prevent. Her son's panicked voice as he shouted out for Wyatt and his father as the demons beat and stripped him. His pained expression and deafening screams as they tortured and violated him into the night. His futile and desperate attempts to pass out from pain and exhaustion. His terror at having to face them all a second time. And as she showed Leo, she slowed it down for him to experience the agony that she felt as a mother unable to help her child.

Leo sank to his knees sobbing with grief, still reeling from the shock of his visions. He felt nauseous at what had been done to his son, and even more disgusted by his own mistreatment of the boy.

Piper smiled with some degree of satisfaction, "You call yourself a father--yet you chose to ignore him, Leo--and by doing so, you let all of that happen. And then you blamed him for it. You want forgiveness--well I can't give it to you--not now, not ever. I am so angry with you, that I would like nothing better than to blow you to pieces for my own satisfaction. But I can see that deep down, you seem to care about Chris--maybe even love him. So I think that this revenge is sweeter--you have to live with the knowledge that you could have spared your son that pain. Given that--I think you forfeit all rights as a father. Now do me a favor and stay away from my son."

Paige tip-toed cautiously down the stairs, "I'm sorry to interrupt guys, but I think he's starting to wake, and I know you'd want to be there…"

Piper turned to glare at Leo before breaking into a run up the stairs past her sister.

For his part, Leo felt worse than if she had been generous enough to blow him up. Her words struck a bitter cord in him, and he couldn't deny the truth in them. He was partially responsible for what happened to Chris. And if he really thought about it, he may have even been able to prevent Wyatt from turning if he had just devoted his time to his sons when his wife died instead of avoiding them through the guise of "saving the world" as an Elder. She was right. He didn't deserve any rights as Chris' father.

Paige interrupted his musings, "Are you coming Leo?"

Leo shook his head sadly, "Uh, no. I'd better wait down here for now. I'm not exactly a favorite person--with good reason--to anyone up there. You go on ahead."

Paige just shrugged and ran back up herself hoping she hadn't missed anything.

TBC…..

Do You Really Want to Know?

Chapter 13

By: teal-lover

AN: OK--some things I have to clear up because I noticed that there was some confusion in the reviews (THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH by the way--You guys out there reviewing are awesome and I am just so thrilled to see your comments)

--present Paige, Piper, Wyatt and Leo are all still up in the clouds with the Elders and haven't come down yet. Only Present Phoebe, Chris, Future (or spirit Piper & Paige) and Future jerk, cough--I mean Leo are currently in the past on earth. And I like Leo's character--I really do--but they made him such a jerk this season, that I had to keep in character:)

And you guys are probably gonna hate me for this one, because it's extremely sappy, but trust me--I really needed this for Chris to realize who he was dealing with.

Summary: Chris has a deeper reason why he hates Leo so much, and why he wants to save his brother so badly. Phoebe is determined to help him through his issues and find out what it is. WARNING--Rated "R" for violence and the mention of rape.

Disclaimer in part 1

Chris opened his eyes slowly as he tried to take in his surroundings and recall what happened. He went to sit up, but found himself lying on the floor and trapped in his mother's arms. He looked at Phoebe and grimaced as he remembered why he ran from them in the first place. "Let me go!"

Piper responded by holding on tighter and kissing the top of his head. "No. I'm not letting you go this time. So if you orb, I'm coming with you. You didn't give us the chance to explain earlier..."

Chris struggled a bit before finally giving up in frustration. In the year that he had come to know Piper; and come to think of it, his mother as well--she always meant and did exactly what she said. She would definitely follow wherever he went, so there was really no point in trying to run again unless she wasn't latched onto him. He glared at his Aunt coldly, "I said I didn't want them to know, Phoebe. You had _no _right!"

As soon as Piper felt him relax in her arms, she knew she had the perfect opportunity to let him know who she was. She recalled a song she used to sing to him when he was a small child. As he got older, embarrassment forced him to outgrow the idea of his mother serenading him, so she would write down the lyrics to the song anywhere she thought he alone would read it--in his lunchbox, a birthday card, in his jacket pocket, under his pillow at night. Despite his need to feel grown up, it had always brought a smile to his face and made him feel special when he thought he was insignificant and unimportant to everyone else, especially in light of his older brother's "twice-blessed status".

As a result, while Wyatt had always gravitated to his father, Chris on the other hand had always been her baby. Piper had always known that the words to the song fit because he was the light of her life since the day he was born.

She remembered the first time that she sang it to him, less than a year old--she had looked into his striking emerald eyes and noticed the slight change into a crystal blue shade. As his mother, she was probably the only one who had ever noticed the subtle transformation when he was upset or troubled. To her, the green into blue always signified the calm before the storm. It saddened her deeply that the beautiful green she was used to seeing when he was a child, now only seemed to be embodied by the storm.

That first time, she bundled him in her arms and sang to him softly as he gazed up at her. He sighed contently before falling asleep as if he knew at that tender young age what the words meant.

Piper motioned at her sisters to back away and leaned in so that only he could hear and whispered into his ear, "you are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy--"

Before she could finish, he twisted around quickly in her arms to look at her. 'No. It can't be…' Even as he told himself that it was impossible, his eyes continued to drink in her features to tell him otherwise. The subtle laugh lines that hadn't been there yesterday; the few strands of graying hairs around her temples. No, he thought. She certainly looked like the woman he knew as his mother, not the vibrantly stubborn young woman he had been used to calling Piper over the past year.

Piper saw a flash of recognition dawn in her son, immediately followed by a shadow of doubt. She allowed him to sit up as she no longer sensed his desperate need to flee from her.

Chris took a deep breath but needed to check to be absolutely sure. He reached out to her stomach, but pulled back as he sought her approval with his eyes. At her nod, he cautiously felt underneath the poncho sweater that she always seemed to be ensconced in. Though now he knew it that it started because she never liked anyone touching her pregnant belly, and it was a way to disguise the fact that she was indeed. As a child, he believed that she simply liked it. It had an added bonus of guarding her flicking wrists from a demon's watchful eyes.

Seeing his hesitance, Piper reached down and grabbed his hand to press it against her stomach. She smiled warmly at him as his face finally registered her identity. She confirmed verbally what his eyes and hands were telling him, "This oven hasn't had a _bun _in it in a very long time, Chris."

Chris: "Mom?"

Piper nodded, "Yes, baby--it's me."

Chris nearly knocked her over as he flew into her outstretched arms.

Chris: "How? I mean, I understand if we were in the future and someone summoned you, but how can you be here?"

Piper smiled and glanced at Phoebe on the other side of the attic, "You know your Aunt Phoebe is very resourceful. She can come up with just about anything when she puts her mind to it."

Chris looked up to Phoebe as she cautiously moved forward.

Phoebe: "I made you a promise, Chris, and I swear to you _I did not _and_ would not _break it." She motioned to her baby sister, "This is your Paige too."

Paige needed no further prompting as she ran to hug her nephew, "I missed you, kiddo." She pulled back to look at him fondly, "You've gotten so big."

Chris smiled shyly as all three sisters enveloped him in a group hug.

#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#

After a while, Chris pulled back and looked up. "I'm sorry Phoebe. I guess I jumped to conclusions."

Phoebe smacked his arm playfully. "That's not the only jumping you did. Don't you ever scare me like that again!"

Chris looked genuinely apologetic, "I'm sorry…"

Phoebe: "It's alright. As long as you promise never to do that again. You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

Chris motioned to his mom and aunt, "Why did you bring them here, Phoebe?"

Phoebe suddenly looked nervous, "Several reasons actually. Number one, you needed them. And number two--"

Piper interrupted, "Maybe I'd better explain number two." She locked eyes with her son while she spoke to her sisters, "Could you guys give us a moment?" As soon as the door closed, she took his hand and spoke softly to him, "Chris, honey--I know this has all been hard for you…"

Chris sighed as he had an idea of what she wanted to talk to him about. He looked down to avoid her eyes.

Piper: "You don't have to be ashamed, honey. What happened was _not _your fault."

Chris still wouldn't look at her as he mumbled, "How would you know. Maybe I did bring it on myself."

Piper shook her head adamantly, "Because I was there Chris, and I know that there is nothing on this earth you could have done to deserve what happened."

Chris' head shot up and looked positively mortified. For the first time in as long as he could remember, tears flowed readily down his face as he shut his eyes tightly in denial. He wrapped his arms around his middle protectively and tried to block out the sounds of her voice. He couldn't fathom his mother witnessing what was to him, the weakest moment of his life.

Piper inched closer and wrapped him in her arms, stroking his back comfortingly. She whispered soothing sounds to her son while she rocked him gently.

Chris murmured into her chest, "Why? How could you do that? I can't--"

Piper: "Shhhh. How could I not, Chris? Until you left to come back here, I was always with you--hoping that you could feel me beside you and draw strength to survive that horrible life. And if I could have, I would have followed you here too."

Chris: "But now, you--"

Piper: "I know what you're thinking. And there are _no buts. _Baby, I'm your mother--and I love you, so don't you _ever _believe that I would think less of you for any of that. You did absolutely nothing wrong, and I don't care _who _tells you otherwise."

Piper felt him lean in closer to her and could feel his body tense. She knew he was trying to fight it, to be strong for her--but damn it! She was his mother, and if he couldn't let go in front of her, then to whom could he? She knew he needed that cathartic release if he was ever to face what happened head on and finally let it go.

It infuriated her further that he had no one in his life to help him do that. She had to remember to thank her empath sister later for giving her the ability to do it now. Immediately, she stroked his hair soothingly and murmured her encouragement. "It's ok, baby. Let it out. Don't be afraid, I'm here." She sighed in relief as she felt his body begin to shake and give in to its need for release.

They stayed that way for several hours until he drifted off to sleep in exhaustion.

#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-

Piper called her sisters in a low voice to avoid disturbing her son, "Phoebe, Paige?"

She had to shush them with her finger to her lips since they came rushing in, apparently waiting just outside the door.

Paige: "How's he doing?"

Piper: "He's exhausted. I didn't even get to tell him about the vanquish yet. Do me a favor and tell Leo to come and orb him into my bed?"

Paige: "You don't have a bed Piper, you're dead."

Piper rolled her eyes, "Well the _other_ Piper's bed. She's not using it right now, and won't be until we leave--so would you please just do as I asked?"

Paige nodded and clambered down the steps to find her brother-in-law. "Leo, Piper wants you to come and put Chris into bed, he fell asleep."

Leo hesitated, "Are you sure Piper said that?"

Paige: "Positive. She asked me to come and get you twice already."

Leo orbed upstairs without further prompting and cautiously padded over to his son and former wife. She didn't warn him away, so he bent down and touched them both as he orbed them to their old room, relinquishing his hold only when he set them on the bed.

He moved to stand in the doorway and watched with awe as she gingerly tucked her son under the covers. He thought back to when he was a little boy and frequently observed the same scene, usually after the child would refuse to go back to his own room after a demon attack. He smiled at the irony--his children were probably the only ones on the block that when they said that there was a monster under the bed, the parents would have to go racing to the room to get rid of it. Then they'd trek back to their room and tuck one or both of the boys into their own bed, while they curled up into whatever space was left over.

Leo noted that she curled up at the foot of the bed with Chris in it. He spotted a small corner on the opposite side of the bed and cautiously approached it before sitting down. He knew he wasn't really welcome from the hardened stare Piper gave, but as long as she didn't voice her displeasure verbally, he would take whatever contact he could get for now.

TBC…..

AN: Well? So what do you think? Are you ready to shoot me yet? ;) Cause if not, I'm hoping that the next one will be much more interesting when Chris wakes up--and Leo has to face him.

Do You Really Want to Know?

Chapter 14

By: teal-lover

AN: This chapter has a few swear words.

Disclaimer in part 1

#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#

When Chris awoke from his second nap for the day, he noticed his mother curled up and asleep on top of the blankets. He thought it had all been merely a dream since he felt an overwhelming sense of peace that he hadn't felt in years. Probably not since the last time he was with his mother. Not even being back in the past with Piper alive had made him feel this way. The younger version was definitely a close second, but had he had never been able to bring himself to feel like the Piper of this time was really his mother. He had guessed that she probably felt the same way, since she was not the person that had raised him; along with the fact that they were less than a decade apart in this time. When he first arrived in the past, it had been so easy for him to call the sisters by their first names, as none of them really seemed like the caregivers he had grown up with--Mom, Aunt Paige, and Aunt Phoebe. He smiled widely when he looked down again. After all, the woman at the foot of the bed wasn't Piper. She was Mom.

His smile turned into a grimace as he realized who was next to her. 'Leo. Or is that Dad?' He didn't really know; but it didn't matter. They were both Leo to him now.

Chris spoke quietly to the other man, "Who are you?"

Leo was a bit confused, "You don't remember?"

Chris replied bitterly, "No, I'm not that lucky. I mean, if Phoebe brought Mom here, and Aunt Paige too--then which one are you?"

Leo: "I'm your father, Chris."

The young man narrowed his eyes and hissed venomously, "I wasn't asking you if you slept with my mother and got her pregnant. I just want to know which time are you from?"

Leo sighed, "I'm not from this time either, Chris. Look, I know you're angry with me and have every right to be. And I know I don't have the right to--after the way I treated you when you tried to tell me, but I just want to ask for your forgiveness."

Chris shrugged, "There's nothing to forgive. Because you're _not _my father." He grinned, "All I can say is, thanks for the _donation, _Leo--because that's all you've ever done for me."

Leo clasped his hands together pleadingly, "Please--Chris, just give me one more chance?"

Chris shouted back and leaned forward, "I DID GIVE YOU ANOTHER CHANCE! When I begged you to take me with you to get away from him, but you didn't give a damn! You had your chance and you blew it!"

Piper was startled awake by her son's yelling and immediately raised her hands in his defense. She dropped them when she saw not a demon attacking, but the pitiful excuse for a father she had once loved.

She decided not to intervene for the moment when Chris jumped out of bed and paced the floor. She knew he needed to work through his anger at one of the people responsible for all of that pent up rage. So she observed the interaction carefully, ready to come to his aid if need be.

Leo stood up to block his pacing, "Chris please--I really wanted to take you with me, and I was going to. But--"

Chris: "Oh yeah, right. You had no intention of taking me."

Leo: "I did, Chris. Right after you left that night in the park, I went back up to convince the other Elders to let me bring you. But when I got there, the place was in ruins. There was no one left."

Chris bowed dramatically and made a gesture of tipping an imaginary hat, "Courtesy of your _precious _little Prince Wyatt!"

Leo looked down at the floor ashamedly, "I know that now. You've never lied to me before. And I should have believed you because you've never given me a reason not to. And for that, I am so sorry."

Chris quickly agreed with him and laughed sardonically, "You're right about a lot of things. You are _sorry_. And not in the apologetic kind of way…" Out of the corner of his eye, he noted with amusement that is mother had chuckled at his last statement, but hurriedly put it aside as he pressed on, "And yes, you should've believed me! But even if you didn't when I first told you what he did, you still left me all alone after what happened! You were the _only _person I had left in the world. And you ditched me for your stupid-assed job! Again!"

Leo: "I didn't intend to, Chris. Wyatt put a ward on the apartment so I couldn't get back in."

Chris shot back angrily with his arms flailing, "THEN YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE LEFT IN THE FIRST PLACE!"

As Leo was trying to plead with Chris, he unconsciously moved to put his hand on his son's arm. He found himself hoisted into the air just before crashing into the wall as the young witch flung his arms out in defense.

Chris' voice dipped dangerously low as he warned him, "Don't--touch me."

At the loud thump coming from the bedroom, Paige and Phoebe burst in fearing a demonic attack.

Phoebe eyes darted back and forth as she questioned nervously, "Is everything all right?"

Piper turned her head towards her sisters and waived her arm in dismissal.

Paige whistled as she realized that the crash she heard was most likely Leo since he was currently lying in a heap on the floor. She babbled nervously, unsure of how to back out of the room gracefully. She grabbed Phoebe's arm and motioned back toward the doorway, "O.K. Yell if you need us. I mean not yell, well, I mean we heard yelling, but I mean--of course you're free to yell all you want…"

Piper: "PAIGE!"

Paige: "Right. We're just gonna' be going now." She spun Phoebe around and quickly shooed her out the door and slammed it closed.

After the intrusion, Leo glanced up at Piper glowering over him poised to strike. He thought absently back to a time when a four-year old Chris was kidnapped and nearly killed by demons. When she found out, she hunted them down and blew them up--one limb at a time. Before she vanquished them, he found it mildly amusing when one of the demons used a play on her name and called the deadly mother "Viper" instead of Piper. However, it was only amusing when that over-protectivness wasn't directed at him. He stood up cautiously, keeping his hands to his sides to avoid getting tossed again either by the son, or blown up by the mother.

Leo's eyes kept warily darting back to Piper while he addressed Chris, "It wasn't my choice. He banished me up to the other Elders after we argued. I didn't want to leave you like that. You have to believe me."

"Oh that is rich." Chris scoffed and turned to his silent mother in open-mouthed disbelief. He thumbed his finger at his father, "Do you believe this guy?"

Piper glared at her former husband, but spoke honestly in an icy tone. "At the very least honey, he is right about that. I was there."

Leo had started to smile at her gratefully but she quickly wiped it from his face with her accusations, "But that doesn't matter Leo. The way you treated Chris was _despicable _coming from any human being, let alone his "so called" father."

Leo focussed all of his attention on Piper at her outburst.

Piper: "He needed your love and compassion, Leo. Especially after what happened. Was that so much to ask for? But instead, all he got from you was hatred and anger for something he had no control over."

Leo admitted, "Yes, I _was _angry, Piper. But not at Chris! Not at you, son. I was angry at what had been done to you--what had happened…"

Chris saw his father's tearful reluctance to delve any deeper into the subject, and could see the pain it seemed to cause him reflected in his blue eyes. Instead of feeling any pity for him because of it, he felt an enormous sense of satisfaction as he grasped on tighter to that little tidbit of information to twist the proverbial knife in further.

Chris replied bluntly, "What happened? You can't even say it, can you? You certainly didn't have any problems with it before. I guess that's because I was never really your son--I'm too normal for you. No, that honor is reserved for the complete _lunatic _who thought he was _actually _doing me a favor by letting his friends FUCK me!" 

Everyone visibly blanched at Chris' words. From Phoebe and Paige with their ears pressed against the outside of the door, to Piper and Leo staring with their mouths agape on the inside. The crassness of the statement seemed to have spewed from his mouth out of anger, but most likely for the sole purpose of shock value. The boy seemed to derive a sort of twisted pleasure from upsetting his family, particularly Leo.

As his mother, Piper gasped and quickly covered her mouth at the memory. Tears once again flowed readily down her cheeks.

Chris went on with a cheerfully false smile, contrasting with the dark intensity of the words that poured from his lips, "But that's ok. After all, according to you, I asked for it. I really enjoyed feeling like my insides were being ripped from by body from the inside out. In fact---"

Piper could take no more and covered her ears as she yelled at him, "Chris. STOP IT!!"

Chris abruptly ceased his tirade at her the distress he heard in her voice. He never meant to cause her any pain. He folded his arms and was temporarily content to glare at his father.

Leo: "I'm so sorry for that, Chris. You'll never have to worry about any of that again. I swear I'll be the father that I never was but you've always deserved. Just, please, Chris, forgive me. Come home with me, and I promise you he will never hurt you again."

Chris laughed without a hint of amusement, "You know what? I thought Wyatt was a real piece of work. But I guess that crazy little apple didn't fall too far from the tree, huh? You expect me to go back there with _him_???? You can't control Wyatt! When are you gonna' learn to STOP MAKING PROMISES YOU CAN'T KEEP! He'll do whatever he damn well pleases if I get in his way again."

Leo steeled his gaze and flexed his fists openly, "No, son. He won't."

Piper glanced at her husband suspiciously, "Why not, Leo? What's ever stopped him before?"

Leo looked down at the floor, unable to look her in the eye, "Things are different now."

Chris: "What is that supposed to mean?"

Piper snarled at him, "What did you do? Tell me."

Leo stood his ground and refused to answer any way other than cryptically, "What was necessary."

Piper pushed past him hastily and called for her sisters, "Fine. If you won't tell me, We'll do this the hard way. Phoebe! Paige!"

TBC…..

Do You Really Want to Know?

Chapter 15

By: teal-lover

Disclaimer in part 1

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The sisters crowed around Leo as they backed him into a corner, but it was Phoebe who spoke. "What's going on?"

Piper: "Leo seems to think he can hide something from me. Do you have the spell that you used on Chris?"

Phoebe: "Yes, I memorized it."

Piper: "Good. Write it down for me. I want to make a few minor adjustments."

Paige: "Why don't we just use the truth spell on him?"

Piper: "Because I want to see for myself what he's hiding."

Chris: "I want to see too."

Leo looked to Chris, "No, you don't. Please, don't do this."

Phoebe: "It's a little late to be asking for favors, buddy."

Leo panicked and tried to orb, but every hand surrounding him reached out and rooted him back in place.

Chris quickly muttered the anti-orbing spell he had picked up from one of the dumb blonde sisters who tried to usurp the Charmed Ones lives a few months back. Smirking at Leo, "You're not goin' anywhere."

Phoebe recited what she remembered, "At this time, and in this hour  
With this rhyme, give me the power Blood of my blood, so let this be. Allow me to see, this one's memory." She smiled at Piper proudly, "Huh, what do you think? And we just have to be touching his forehead to physically see them."

Piper was in no mood for stroking her sisters ego and replied sarcastically, "Did it work?"

Phoebe: "Yes."

Piper: "Then it was fine for the purpose of seeing Chris' memories. But he's an Elder. And we all want to see what he's hiding. So we're going to need to beef it up a bit. And we don't need to be touching him, you worked that out a few years from now to project your memories."

Phoebe pointed to herself proudly, "I did?"

Piper ignored her sister and quickly reworded the spell and told Chris to speak his lines, along with her sisters.

Paige, Phoebe, Chris, and Piper:

_At this time, and in this hour,_

With this rhyme, gives us the power

Chris alone speaks the next line, followed immediately by the sisters again_._

Blood of my blood, so let this be,

Allow us to see, this one's memory,

Destroy the barrier, shielded in his mind,

Release this deep dark secret,

To the power of three, along with their progeny"

One by one, the sisters and Chris closed their eyes. When they opened them, they found themselves transported to the vision of Leo's memory. Watching on the sidelines, the four Halliwell's relived the memory that Leo Wyatt only wished he could forget.

############

_A particularly anxious demon spoke, hoping to win favor by hauling his latest find before his master. "Look what I have brought you, Master Wyatt. It is the last Elder. He murdered several of our kind before I apprehended him. He was found once again trying to break into this compound." He turned to Leo and twisted his arm further behind his back, causing him to gasp at the sudden sharp pain. "He hasn't been hurt. Much--I knew you would want that honor personally, Master."_

Wyatt circled the group of demons holding Leo hostage and eyed them calmly. "Perhaps I have become feeble minded, Hmm?"

The demon looked at Wyatt questioningly, "No, Master."

Wyatt looked them up and down with an arrogant air, "Then why would any of you presume to think that I would not be aware of "who" this is? Tell me--has the word demon become synonymous with the word imbecile?"

Faster than any of his minions could respond, he waved his hand and incinerated the one who first spoke, thus releasing Leo. "That was a rhetorical question and did not require a response, by the way."

Unaided by the body that held his arm and with it, his balance, Leo fell forward and landed on his knees by his oldest son's feet. As he looked up, he found Wyatt's face hampered by a sinister grin that he never would have thought belonged on his child.

Wyatt address his minions, "Leave us, for now. I will call for you shortly--to escort him off of the premises."

As all of the demons shimmered out, Wyatt turned and spoke with a fondness in his voice, as if he were reminiscing about old times. "This makes at least a dozen times in as many months you have tried to break in here. And as much as I have enjoyed your little bouts of comedic entertainment, they have since become a bit--tiresome. " He bent down and poked his finger through one of the holes in Leo's robes, the result he knew, was from a darklighter's arrow during one of his father's previous attempts. "And you don't seem to be fairing very well from them either. So why don't you give up? Why must you harass me incessantly?"

Leo's voice trembled not from fear, but of sheer exhaustion. "Then you're just going to have to kill me. Because I am not going to leave you alone until you tell me where my son is."

Wyatt smiled falsely with open arms, "But I am your son. And I'm right here, father."

Leo: "Where is Chris? What have you done with him?"

Wyatt tossed his unruly hair over his shoulders and slapped his hands against his thighs in mock frustration. "CHRIS, CHRIS, CHRIS!!! That's all I ever hear from you. When did you start giving a damn about him, anyway? No need to answer that, it no longer matters. Christopher was always making a nuisance out of himself, and you and I both know it. I even used to find his behavior mildly amusing. That is until he decided to cross me. I must apologize to you Leo for what I am about to say, for it was an error on my part--I truly thought he had learned from that painful lesson I was forced to teach him when he was just seventeen. I thought he had taken it to heart, and understood why I did what I did. That there were simply no sides of good or evil to take anymore. I misjudged him, and apparently, he just never got over that. As time went on, he only became more stubborn and willful, and it became clear to me that he would never, could never--rule by my side. Christopher, as a son of a Charmed One, had so much potential, and I had hoped to help him realize that."

Leo found it difficult to swallow, and felt his heart beating out of control. His voice was laced with fear at what he thought was coming. "Why do you keep talking about him in the past tense?"

Wyatt clasped his hands behind his back and displayed an incredulous look as he declared the most obvious answer, "Because that "is" how you speak of someone who is no longer living. He was uncontrollable, and I could not let that continue."

Leo's heart sank as the doubt crept into his voice, "I don't believe you. He's your brother…"

Wyatt: "If you swear to me that you will leave this place, and never return--I will prove it to you." He stared at his father expectantly.

Leo nodded, not trusting himself to speak. He watched with tear filled eyes as Wyatt waved his hand and summoned a projector probe and displayed the scene on the back wall. He saw the day when Bianca brought Chris through a glowing blue portal, he assumed most likely, where the young man had been hiding. His eyes were glued intently to the wall as his youngest son was thrown about into furniture in the old manor, before being pinned to the wall by his neck.

Wyatt paused the scene there, "Would you like to see the rest?" At Leo's lack of response, he chuckled and waved his hand again, producing a probe with an alternate version of events.

As he paused the probe's camera, Wyatt knew that he needed to avoid any dissention in his ranks by letting anyone know that his slippery younger brother had again escaped his grasp. He called upon a power he had learned at just six months old--conjuring. With Chris gone and the Phoenix staring lifelessly up at the ceiling, no one would ever be the wiser. Flicking his wrist, he incinerated and disposed of her body.

Closing his deep blue eyes in concentration, Wyatt soon conjured an exact replica of the traitorous twosome. The only problem, he noted, was that they appeared to be distant and lifeless beings. He left the duplicate woman as she was, but whispered a spell to animate his brother's clone.

Crystal blue eyes shot open and looked around wildly before meeting deep penetrating blue ones. Wyatt grinned satisfactorily as he stood back and telekinetically pinned him to the wall and resumed the recording.

Leo only saw Chris pinned by an invisible force to the wall, clutching his neck in a desperate attempt to draw in air. He jumped as Chris was abruptly dropped to the floor gasping for breath, hoping that this was the end and that Wyatt had lied earlier.

Leo's breath caught in his throat as he watched the scene anxiously. He saw Wyatt move into the picture to tower over his youngest son. Moving swiftly, he yanked the brown locks and forced his head back to look at him. "You should have never crossed me brother."

Wyatt smiled sinisterly as the duplicate's eyes widened in fear, expertly playing the unwitting role of a victim. Still holding his head back, he reached down with his other hand and grasped the boy's neck before slamming him into the wall.

Wyatt laughed again as the clone clawed at his fingers wrapped around its neck, slowly squeezing tighter and tighter. He mentally applauded himself, as he hadn't really expected the result of a spell to be that feisty.

Unable to look into the tortured eyes of his youngest son as he took his last breath, Leo wept openly as he saw Chris' legs dangling above the ground, held up only by his brother's hands around his throat. He felt as if his own heart had stopped as the struggling ceased, and forced himself to look up--seeing nothing but lifeless, bloodshot eyes staring back at him through the camera's lens.

He vaguely thought he heard Wyatt laughing in the background, but all he could hear was Chris' voice haunting him in his mind, "By the way, LEO--If the next time you come to see me I happen to be dead by Wyatt's hands; Don't say I didn't tell you so."

He looked up at the monster that used to be his oldest son as he now believed what his eyes told him, "You killed him. You murdered my son..."

Wyatt shrugged, "So? What do you care? He's better off where he is now--with the only parent that's ever cared for him, he's with his mother."

Leo: "He's my son, I loved him…"  
_  
Wyatt circled Leo and stared at him as if examining him under a microscope, "Interesting, so you do care about the boy somewhat? Though it is a shame that your concern can no longer be appreciated by the one you now show it for. It didn't have to be this way, and I tried to teach him that, but he preferred to provoke me at every turn. Just as you now do with these intrusions."_

Wyatt's eyes quickly grew cold and menacing, "You see, you didn't have to persist on bothering me. You could have had this information all along. I added this clip to the museum quite a long time ago, as a message--that no one who opposes me shall be shielded from my wrath, not even blood."

Wyatt turned to leave but decided to borrow a page from his brother's book and added a typical dry witted comment, "It's also available for purchase in the gift shop. Oh, but you are family--I'll make sure that you get one at a discount."

As Wyatt taunted him about his heinous crimes against his little brother, something inside of the pacifist Elder snapped. While it was true that after the other Elder's were murdered, Leo had heard the rumors of the horrors that his oldest child had inflicted on his other; on the world; he had been in denial. It simply wasn't possible that the Twice Blessed Child, son of the Eldest Charmed One and an Elder, could have done such things. And yet today, there was no hint of denial or remorse in his words and actions. Even when he broke in to find Chris, he never fully believed that Wyatt would harm his little brother, perhaps keep him from seeing him, but never anything worse. He had finally come to realize that all of the rumors were true. That what Chris told him was true.

Leo watched the black clad figure strolling casually away from him, and he no longer saw his eldest son. He only saw the monster that he had become. His eyes blazed with fury as he raised his hands, and the culmination of power that had ever existed in all of the Elder's was channeled through those hands to form the electricity continuously flowing into Wyatt's back.

Wyatt had tried to walk away as he made his last statement, never fearing for his life at the hands of his own father. But as his body was slammed against the wall in stunned silence, he never got the opportunity to face his executioner.  
  
TBC…..

AN: Yeah, you guys were right. Or were you? So what happens now? I post another chapter, hopefully soon;)

You guys reviewing are just the most wonderful people!!! It's even pushed me to upload another chapter in only a couple of days--a new record for me.J I can't tell you how excited I am to check my email & see a review pop up.

Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and for the wonderful encouragement.


	4. Do You Really Want to Know? Ch 16 to 20E...

Do You Really Want to Know?

Chapter 16

****

(Now that the story is finished, I have combined the story into 4 parts. This is chapters 16-20-the epilog)

By: teal-lover

Summary: Chris has a deeper reason why he hates Leo so much, and why he wants to save his brother so badly. Phoebe is determined to help him through his issues and find out what it is. WARNING--Rated "R" for violence and the mention of rape.

Disclaimer in part 1

AN: First, let me apologize for taking so long to update--but I had an essay to finish for class that I just couldn't put off any more--for fear of failing the class. But now I'm free for a little bit, so I'll try to get this wrapped up before the next one :)  
But this chapter is pretty long, so it should do for a while--huh?

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Outside of the Halliwell Manor, passerby's on the street stared up at the house at the simultaneous screaming. Not unused to the drama coming from within its walls, everyone simply shook their heads and continued on about their way.

Inside, however, was quite a different scene playing out in Piper's bedroom.

Still witnessing the memories, both Wyatt's mother and brother were the first to break out of Leo's hold through his mind. They both howled in rage and horror, before lunging for the Elder.

Phoebe and Paige were instantaneously disconnected from the memories and returned to the drama unfolding in the bedroom as Piper flicked her wrists and blew up their former brother-in-law.

Before she could do any further harm, Paige ignored the shocked but satisfied rush she felt at seeing Wyatt electrocuted and tackled her eldest sister to the bed, pinning her arms above her head.

Infuriated, Piper tried to buck her sister off as she thrashed around wildly.

Paige hissed at the eldest Charmed One in a low voice, "Piper, stop it!" Her eyes widened in surprise as her sister tried to maneuver her hands at her, "Are you trying to blow _me _up?"

Piper screamed at her, "Big friggin' deal--you're already dead, now GET THE HELL OFF OF ME!"

Chris glanced at his mom and aunt struggling on the bed with disinterest. His attention was squarely focussed on the tiny blue orbs scattered a few feet away. His eyes squinted and his body crouched ever so slightly as he prepared to pounce--waiting anxiously for Leo to re-materialize.

Phoebe had watched the way that Paige had tackled her older sister and realized that she must have felt the same way about Wyatt that she did. Sure he may not have actually killed her other nephew, but after everything else--it really didn't matter in her mind. What he did was just as bad, or worse. She continued watching the Elder's orbs slowing re-forming against the wall, and quickly took her cue from Paige and stepped in front of Chris advancing on his father menacingly.

Chris: "Move Phoebe."

Phoebe shook her head, "Why? So you can kill him?"

Chris' eyes glazed over as he replied coldly, "Something like that."

Phoebe backed up closer to Leo, now solidified behind her, to offer him her protection as a human shield. Chris wouldn't risk hurting her in order to get at his father. She hoped. However, with that wild, crazed look in her nephew's eyes, she couldn't be sure. "Chris, I won't let you do this. Cause if you do, you're gonna' have to go through me first. You and Piper need to calm down, right now!"

Leo saw the look in his son's eyes also, and tried to push Phoebe aside. In his hasty anger, Chris was liable to unwittingly cause harm to his aunt. Leo was unable to move the tiny woman, as her feet were planted firmly in front of her, while she held a tight grip onto his robes. Instead, he stood rigidly to full height above her, prepared to accept whatever punishment his wife and son deemed fit to dole out.

Piper whipped her head around to Phoebe when she heard her comment. "Calm down!" she parroted incredulously, "HOW DARE YOU TELL US TO CALM DOWN!!! He killed my son!" She turned her head towards Leo, "I'M GONNA' KILL YOU--YOU MURDERING SON OF A BITCH!"

Leo started, "I'm sorry--"

Piper cut him off, "You're just sorry you got caught!"

Leo shook his head, "No, Piper. I'm sorry you had to see that. That you _forced _me to show you any of that--but I'm not sorry for what I did. Yes, I admit that I thought that Chris was dead. But that's not the only reason I did it. I loved Wyatt. But that man was not him. My son has been dead for a very long time, but I was just too blind to see it. I didn't kill my son, I vanquished a demon."

Piper: "And by doing so, do you know what you did? You sent him to hell! You sentenced our son to an eternity in hell, DAMN YOU!"

Piper again tried to throw Paige off, but only succeeded in causing her baby sister to tighten her grip. Her brown eyes spoke of betrayal when she looked up into her eyes, "What is _wrong _with you? You saw what Leo did. Both of you did. Why are you protecting him?"

Paige shouted back vehemently, "Because I saw what Wyatt did too. You know after all of the stupid things I've seen Leo do in the past few years, he finally did something right! And I'm tired of pretending that Wyatt was some innocent that needed saving. I will not let you make a martyr out of him! He was evil, Piper. What he did to your son should have been enough to make you see that. But I _can not_--_will not--_forgive him for what he did to Chris. If he burns in hell for his actions--so be it. He got what he deserved. I only hope that Tem'al was there waiting for him."

All thoughts of violence against his father quickly retreated to the back of Chris' mind. He gasped in shock at the harsh words so venomously spewing from the mouth of his normally loving and pacifist aunt.

Paige continued her rant after clearly silencing Piper's struggles with her declaration. "And why are _you _still protecting him, Christopher? I don't understand why after what Wyatt did to you?"

Chris stuttered at the verbal onslaught, "He didn't…."

Paige forced herself to voice what she had always swore to herself would never pass her lips. But she knew that her nephew needed to be shocked out of his brainwashing. "Yes--he--did--Christopher. What difference does it make if he did it himself or not. Wyatt--your brother--ordered your torture and rape at the hands of his demons in order to get what he wanted. He _sold _you! You have _absolutely _no reason to continue to defend him."

Phoebe murmured in understanding, "Stockholm."

Paige already flustered and tense from releasing her pent up frustration, huffed at her sister shortly, "What?"

Phoebe stated with more conviction, "Stockholm Syndrome. It's where the viii--uh--person," swearing under breath as she almost said _victim_, but quickly changed her wording so as not to incite Chris' already volatile mental state, "identifies with, and feels compassion toward the other person who has harmed them in some way." She stepped closer to her nephew and laid her hand on his arm. Her chocolate brown eyes tried to convey every bit of warmth and understanding that she could muster. "It's natural to feel that way after something so traumatic, Chris."

Chris shook her off and started pacing frantically again, "_He's my brother! _How am I supposed to feel!" He glared at Leo, "If I wanted him dead, I could have done it myself! I've had plenty of opportunities both in the future--and right here in the past to kill him in his sleep. But I didn't. Why the hell do you think I came back here?"

Leo questioned him softly, "Why did you come back here, Chris?"

Chris: "Because I wanted to _save _him! Damn you! How could you do this!" Breathing heavily, Chris suddenly ran out of energy as he ran his hands through his hair and sank to his knees despondently. "He was all I had left…"

Leo wanted to reach out and console his son, but Phoebe held him back for fear of his own safety. Frustrated, he sighed at her stubborn refusal to move even an inch until she thought all was clear.

Meanwhile, Piper had laid on the bed sobbing softly, still pinned by her sister. Paige's angry words shocked her as well. She had never quite reached the point--at least verbally, where she thought that Wyatt was no longer redeemable after all of the atrocities he had committed. Not only against his own flesh and blood, but also against the world. She had seen it, but had been in denial just as much as Leo had. But after everything that Piper had seen and heard as of late, she no longer had the strength to believe in him anymore--to believe that justice wasn't meted out correctly, and quietly ceased her struggles. When she heard Chris' soft spoken words, she felt a rush of maternal instinct to comfort him. She whispered to her baby sister desperately, "Let me go to him please?"

Paige glared at her and searched her eyes for any sign of duplicity, but found none in the genuine concern for her only remaining child. She warned, "Don't you go near Leo." She released her oldest sister at the slight nod and watched as she walked over and wrapped her arms around her son.

Chris looked up and recited to his mother what he only half-heartedly believed, "Wyatt loved me, I know he did. But he was just--I don't know, lost I guess. He didn't want to…" His voice no longer holding onto the animosity toward Leo, he looked up with glassy eyes threatening to spill over, "Why did you have to start caring now? He was all I had left. What am I supposed to do now? Everyone in my life is dead."

Leo: "Chris, I'm so sorry. And I know I have so much to answer to you for. But you won't be alone--"

Opening and closing his fists repeatedly, Chris finally let out an exhausted sigh. "Save it, Leo. Just leave me alone. I have already forgiven you for so much. For giving up on me after mom died; for not believing me when I told you the first time; for never coming when I called you, but always whenever Wyatt even so much as broke a fingernail--you were right there rushing to his side. But you have _never _been there for me. It's too late now. And I just don't have it in me to forgive you for any more. Now after everything, I still have no one. 

Piper: "No, baby. We're going to change all of that."

Chris looked up hesitantly, "What do you mean?"

Piper let out a deep breath, since she had neglected to tell him earlier. "That's the other reason your Aunt Phoebe summoned Paige and I here. We want to vanquish Tem'al. So that none of this will have ever happened. You won't have to go through any of this, baby--I promise."

Chris shook his head sadly, "Then you don't understand. If you were really there--why don't you understand?"

The remaining Charmed sisters moved closer and kneeled in front of him.

Phoebe: "What don't we understand, Chris?"

Chris: "You can't vanquish _him._"

Piper: "Yes, we can, Chris. We have all of the present Charmed Ones powers. Right now, we are the Power of Three again. If anyone can do it, it's us."

Leo hung back but spoke up also. From Piper' earlier visions, he now had a face and a name to go along with his anger at the demon who had hurt his son. "I'll help too."

Chris sat back and leaned against the bed. He ignored Leo's outburst and only addressed Piper's earlier statement, "I know you can, Mom. But it's not that you can't physically do it, just that you shouldn't do it."

Paige: "What? Why not?"

Chris: "Because _he _isn't what turned Wyatt. That's why I came back here. To find out what does, and stop it from happening while he's still a baby."

Piper's voice started to crack, "But Chris, we can still do that, and at the same time--erase all of those horrible things that happened to you. If we're lucky, maybe it'll even be instantaneous and you'll forget all about it."

Chris sighed again, "That's what I'm worried about." He pushed his family away from him angrily and stood up. Pounding his fists against his thighs in frustration, he yelled down at them still crouched on the floor. "See this is what you're not getting! I guess I have to spell it out for you" he punctuated each word slowly, "--I CAN NOT BE ALLOWED TO FORGET!"

Seeing their upset but clearly confused expressions, Chris threw his hands up in the air. "You people are so dense! Look, just stay the hell away from--the demon--and just leave me alone. I can't deal with this right now. With any of you. Just--ugh!" He quickly muttered under his breath and released the anti-orbing spell before fleeing-- leaving a room full of shocked, confused, and upset family members behind.

TBC…..

AN: I think I have 1 or 2 more chapters out of this, but we'll see. And wow, your reviews were so awesome. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and for the wonderful encouragement.

Do You Really Want to Know?

Chapter 17

By: teal-lover

Summary: Chris has a deeper reason why he hates Leo so much, and why he wants to save his brother so badly. Phoebe is determined to help him through his issues and find out what it is. WARNING--Rated "R" for violence and the mention of rape.

AN: This chapter is much lighter than the last few, because they were just so draining to write. I love angst, but I just couldn't take it anymore for a while. Next chapter :)

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After storming out of the manor, Chris orbed himself to the peak of the Golden Gate Bridge. The wind whipped through his longish, dark hair, blowing it into his face. He swiped at the dangling strands angrily.

This was his usual spot to think, relax, and sometimes even plan his next move, at least ever since his father had introduced him to it in this time. It had always felt calming and peaceful, and he welcomed the solitude it offered.

When he left his family in the bedroom with their mouths agape, that was exactly what he had been looking for. Now however, the bridge just seemed to be stifling, making it difficult to breathe. Since he was used to the height, Chris knew it was because of the turbulent emotions that raged within him.

He realized suddenly that he didn't want to be alone right now, but he didn't really want to deal with his family right now either.

After his outburst, he began to feel foolish, and maybe just a little bit disappointed in himself. That was the only time in his life that he could ever remember yelling at his mother like that, so he could picture how upset she must be now.

But he just wasn't ready to deal with any of that yet. But where could he go? A grin slowly spread across his face as he thought of just the place and orbed out.

₭₭₭₭₭₭₭₭₭₭₭₦lt;/p>

Orbing not too far from his destination, Chris decided to walk the rest of the way to avoid being spotted. He climbed up the stairs to the small home and rang the doorbell. He listened hopefully for any sounds inside, but heard none and sighed disappointedly. He turned to walk away with his hands in his pockets just as the door was opened by an unfamiliar middle-aged woman.

She held open the door slightly as she peeked through, "May I help you?"

Chris: "Uh, no. Thanks. I must have the wrong house. I thought someone else lived here." He turned to leave when he heard a muffled voice on the other side of the door question her.

Chris was just about to turn around again to leave when the door opened wider and a very familiar face stood in front of it. His eyes beamed with excitement and relief, and he silently thanked the Piper of this time for introducing them. He waived shyly, "Hi."

Victor rushed out onto the porch to welcome his grandson. He cycled through his questions, running one sentence into the next quickly, all the while changing his tone from happy, concerned, to downright worried. "CHRIS!! It's so good to see you. What are doing here? _How _did you get here? Are they alright?"

Chris laughed at his grandfather's babbling, "Now I know where Phoebe gets it from. Let's see: It's good to see you too--just visiting--with my legs--and yes, they're fine."

The woman seemed quite interested in the interaction, and cleared her throat to get their attention. "I don't mean to be rude or anything, but who may I ask are you, young man?"

Chris held out his hand grinning broadly, "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm Chris."

The woman smiled smugly, "Yes, I did get _that _part."

Victor still had his arm wrapped around his grandson as he spoke, "Ah, Frances, this is Chris--my uh…"

Chris quickly chimed in, "Nephew. But we've always been so close, that I just think of Uncle Vic as my Grandfather. He doesn't mind me calling him Grandpa, do you?"

Victor: "Of course not. It's not as if it makes me feel old or anything…Where are my manners--Come on in, son. Can I get you anything, something to eat or drink?"

Frances eyed them irritably, "Victor, I thought we were going out tonight?"

Chris halted in disappointment, "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know you had plans and I didn't mean to intrude--I'll just be going."

Victor grabbed his arm as he turned to leave, "Nonsense. I don't get to see you that often, Chris." He turned to Frances asking her in no uncertain terms, "Fran, you don't mind if we make it for another night, right?"

Frances smiled at him sarcastically before snatching her purse from the counter, "Mind? Why would I mind?" She muttered under her breath loud enough to be heard, "Right. Another night--in your dreams, pal…"

Chris winced as heard the front door slam. "She's mad."

Victor dismissed it easily, "Aren't they always? Forget about that. So what's going on with you? I mean, is everything really ok---as far as, well ya'know--stuff?"

Chris: "Yeah, Grandpa. That's all cool."

Victor led him to the couch, "Then, do you want to tell me what's bothering you?"

Chris instinctively lied as he smiled back, "There's nothing bothering me, Grandpa. I just wanted to see you."

Victor raised his eyebrows as he crossed his arms, "Uh huh. So you just _happened _to show up on my doorstep in the middle of the day because you suddenly got the urge to come and visit? What's the matter, demon hunting a little slow today?" He noticed that his grandson carefully avoided his eyes. Which meant that he was avoiding the truth as well. So he pressed again, "Come on, Chris. I know I'm not magical or anything like you, but I'm not stupid either. I can see that something is bothering you, and whatever it is, it will just between us. I didn't tell your mother or aunts what you told me, and I won't tell them now. You can talk to me, and you know that. That is the reason you came here, right?"

Chris fiddled with his hands as he stared down at his shoes. "Everything is just so screwed up, and it's all my fault. If I hadn't said anything to Phoebe, then they wouldn't be here trying to fix something they shouldn't; I wouldn't know that he was dead--and that I have nothing left. It's all just too much right now, and I just had to get away from them for a while."

Victor half joked, "Chris, I know I just said that I wasn't stupid, but I honestly have no clue as to what you just said."

Despite his feelings, Chris laughed at his Victor's attempt at humor. "Don't ever stop that, Grandpa. You always did have a way of making me laugh, no matter what was going on. You asked me before what was it that made you such an awesome grandpa, there you go. That's definitely one thing."

Victor nodded proudly, "I'll certainly keep that in mind. Now would you care to elaborate a little on what you said before that?"

Chris shrugged, "Not really." He mentally berated himself for coming here. Just one look from his grandfather had always been enough to make him confess anything. But he had to keep some secrets. He just couldn't stand the thought looking into his eyes and seeing them full of shame, pity, and disappointment if he found out what happened. But at the same time, he felt a pressing need to talk to someone, so he decided on a compromise that would satisfy them both. He would get things off his chest, and his grandfather would get the barest minimum to help him understand. "Just the basics ok? No details…"

Victor nodded enthusiastically, eager to help his grandson through whatever was troubling him. "Fair enough. Go on."

Chris let out a nervous breath as he tried to summarize the past weeks events. "I told Phoebe something I shouldn't have after something happened last week, and she wouldn't let it go."

Victor smiled, "She wore you down, huh? That girl can be like a dog with a chew toy. Don't feel bad, she does that to me all the time."

Chris: "Well she did it to me too. And then she called Mom and Aunt Paige. Then we kind of got into this huge fight, and I kind of blew up at them when I left. I think I might have hurt Moms feelings."

Victor: "Hey, this is good."

Chris raised his eyebrows doubtfully, "How is that good?"

Victor: "You're making progress. You know, _Mom, not Piper_?"

Chris: "Well this _is _Mom, _not _Piper. Phoebe summoned my mother--from the future. You know, the one from after _the event_."

Victor: "_Ohhhh. _You mean her spirit? Like, when they call Penny?"

Chris: "Yeah, along with Aunt Paige's too. Oh, I forgot; they brought _Leo _with them. But these are the people that raised me. And even they don't understand me. They don't seem to get that this _other_ event has to happen. None of us likes it, especially me--but I don't know how to get them to see that fact and just leave it alone."

Victor: "Have you tried talking to the Piper and Paige of _this _time? What do they think?"

Chris scrunched up his face in confusion, "I don't know. Come to think of it, I didn't even realize that they weren't around. Leo and Wyatt are gone too."

The more Chris thought about it, the angrier he got. "Oh that's just too coincidental. They planned this. I can't believe them! They weren't even going to ask me. If I hadn't walked in on them, they were just going to go behind my back and then just go around screwing up the future!"

Victor asked worriedly, "Planned what? And what about the others? Are they ok?"

Chris: "They're fine. If they weren't, I wouldn't exist since Piper is pregnant with me. But they CAN NOT do this!"

Victor grabbed the young mans shoulder, "Hey, Chris--calm down. What can't they do? And what did they plan?"

Chris stared into the older man's eyes and changed the facts a bit. He just hoped that he wouldn't ask for details, because he was an open book when his grandfather really wanted to get something out of him. "Grandpa, I can't tell you any details. But they're trying to stop a chain of events that almost lead to me getting killed in the future."

Victor gasped with shock, "Then why won't you let them?"

Chris: "Because I _didn't _die. That's the point. I made it through."

Victor closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I don't understand, son. If they came back from the _dead_ to stop this, then you must have been inches away from ringing deaths doorbell. So why are you fighting so hard to stop them?"

Chris: "Did they tell you why I came back?"

Victor: "Your mother said that you needed to save your brother from being some kind of tyrant, or something like that."

Chris: "Yes, he turned evil in my future. And today, I found out that he will die because of it. But not if I can change the past. But I won't be able to do that if they change _my _past."

Chris' eyes pleaded with his grandfather to understand as no one else could, "Because it was that event, which led to a chain of events, that in turn led me here. Please tell me you understand…"

Victor sighed dramatically, "So you're saying that if they change this--they will have changed the fact that you come back to save your brother? Right?"

Chris jumped up in relief, "YES!"

Victor: "Then yes, I understand. I don't like it. But I understand." He shook his head when the young man flew into his arms, surprising him just as he had the day he first met him months ago. "So I guess you want _me _to talk them, huh?"

Chris: "Well _I _can't do it. Not after I just yelled at them like that. They'll just think I'm being stubborn. And my Mom, well I've never yelled at her like that before. I don't know how she'll handle it."

Victor: "She wasn't part of your life during your worst teenage years, so she hasn't heard all of the tantrums. Now give yourself a break, Chris. She's your mother, she'll understand. And she'll get over it."

Chris pulled back and took Victor's hand, "Are you ready to go?"

Victor snatched his hand away and shook his head. "Not gonna' happen, kiddo. I know you said I get used to orbing in the future--but I don't have to get used to it right now, so you--come with me." He grabbed his jacket and car keys as he headed out. Holding open the front door, his eyes glinted with amusement at his grandson staring at him with wide-eyed shock, "What are you waiting for? Never ridden in a car before?"

Chris hurried to catch up with him, "Not in this time. Are those things even safe right now?"

Victor huffed as he turned off the light.

TBC…..

AN: Well? What did you think? Ok, the confrontation and more explanations are coming next chapter.

Do You Really Want to Know?

Chapter 18

By: teal-lover

Disclaimer in part 1

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No more than a minute had gone by when Victor looked over into the passenger seat and noticed his grandson looking a decidedly greenish hue. Smirking at the reaction, "Are you alright?"

Chris' voice cracked a bit, "I'm fine."

Victor's smirk turned into a full grin, "Then you might want to ease that death grip you've got on the door handle. Come on, my driving's not _that _bad!" At the raised eyebrow he received, "Ok, maybe it is. Good thing is, I'll probably be the one to teach you how to drive." He reached down into his change drawer, "Here, have a peppermint; it'll settle your stomach."

Chris took the candy and tore open the wrapper, eager to be rid of the nauseating feeling rising in his stomach. "Not that bad, huh? I guess that's why you keep them in a real handy spot."

Victor conceded with a nod, "So. Do you think they're looking for you yet?"

Chris replied casually, "Probably."

Victor: "You don't seem too worried about them finding you before you find them."

Chris gave him a sly grin, "That's because I cloaked my presence from them. I had to learn to do that after Wyatt turned. I would have done it earlier, except that I didn't know I needed to."

Victor: "What do you mean?"

Chris: "I went to the bridge earlier to get away from them, but they found me. Since I thought it was Piper and Paige from this time, I thought they would have just given up and left me alone like I told them. But then it wasn't who I thought it was, so they followed me."

Victor: "Why would you think Piper and Paige would leave alone?"

Chris: "They don't really know me that well. You know, it's like I'm not _real_ to them, because they didn't see me grow up."

Victor: "You know, _they _love you too, right?"

Chris: "I know they do technically. But they don't like me. They're still used to me being their annoying whitelighter "future boy". So it's kind of like a default kind of love. And I'm ok with that, really. I understand."

Victor shook his head hesitantly, "Chris, I don't think they feel like that…"

Chris showed his irritation and was eager to change the subject. "Look, can we not talk about that right now?"

Victor: "Ok. What do you want to talk about?"

Chris paled a bit, "Stop the car…"

Victor glanced back worriedly, "Are you going to be sick or something?"

Chris rolled his eyes, "No. Just stop the car, please?"

Victor pulled the car over to the side of the road and shut of the engine. He turned to face the younger man, "What's wrong? You're scaring me, son."

Chris: "I don't mean to. But listen, I need you to promise me something."

Victor quickly calmed down and added teasingly, "I don't know what it is you're asking yet."

Chris grew impatient, "Just promise or we're not going anywhere."

Victor: "I don't know, Chris. You're mother told me how, uh--"tricky", you can be. So I'm not sure if I should promise you anything until---"

Cutting him off angrily, the young man hissed, "VICTOR! I can only imagine what Piper told you, but I-AM-NOT-TRYING-TO-MANIPULATE-YOU! There's just some things that--"

Victor finished his thought, "That you don't want me to know, right?"

Chris stared at his grandfather unblinking. He had hoped to convey a look of extreme sincerity. His heart pounded with anticipation as he anxiously awaited the nod in understanding. When it came, he sighed in relief and added softly "Yeah."

Victor: "Alright, son. I promise. Now tell me what it is you need this promise for."

Chris: "Well, whatever you do--DON'T--let them tell you any details about what happened. I can't take the chance that you might inadvertently change something you shouldn't. If this doesn't work, then I'll have to come back and fix it right next time. So the less you know, the better."

Victor: "So how am I supposed to stop them from saying anything?"

Chris: "Walk away. Stick your finger in your ear and sing the national anthem--whatever! I don't care. Just don't listen if they try to tell you."

Now it was Victor's turn to roll his eyes, "Oh, very mature. By the way, you have a very _bad_ habit, young man."

Chris arched his eyebrows curiously, "What?"

Victor: "You know what I'm talking about. Calling us by our first names, that's what."

Chris smiled mischievously, "Yeah, well it got your attention, didn't it? Besides, maybe this time around you can break me out of that _bad habit_."

-₭₭₭₭₭₭₭-₭----₭₭₭₭-₦lt;/p>

A little earlier back at the manor, Piper's mouth gaped open as she stared at the spot her son had just fled moments before. She ignored the tears that fell as she whispered dazedly, "He hates me…"

Phoebe: "No, honey. He doesn't"

Piper: "Yes, he does. He's never talked to me like that before. He hates me for not being there for him--to protect him like a mother should."

Paige: "I don't think--no--I know, he doesn't hate you Piper. He's just confused right now."

Piper: "That wasn't confusion that I saw. He seemed really clear on the fact that he hates all of us! If he didn't, why wouldn't he want us to get involved? You see? You heard him. He want's _nothing _to do with us!"

Leo hung back in the corner but spoke softly to his former wife, "He doesn't hate you, Piper. Or either of you for that matter. If anything, it's me that he hates--and with good reason, I suppose. I know I've been so blind in the past, Piper. But if I can see anything now, it's how much that boy loves you."

Piper's eyes lost some of the contemptuous glare she been giving her husband earlier. At both of her sister nodding agreement, when stood up gesturing wildly with her hands. "Then I don't' understand! Why won't he let us help him? Why does he feel the need to hold on to something so horrible when we can change it?"

Paige: "I don't know. And I'm not sure if we should leave him alone right now like he asked. I think we need to find hi, and then convince him to let it go."

Phoebe: "Look, guys. I know I was all for telling him earlier and giving him a choice, but--well let's face it, that was back when I thought he would want us to help him."

Paige: "Well I'm still at where I was before. I think we should do it, but let him know we're going to do it. That is what you do for your children--you do what's best for them, then you tell them why and wait until they understand when they get older."

Phoebe: "He's an adult, Paige."

The youngest Charmed One pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration, "Well he's not acting like one. Let's just concentrate on finding him--Leo, can you sense him?"

Leo: "No. He's blocking me somehow."

Phoebe: "To the attic then…"

₭₢?-₭₭₭₭₭₭₭₭₭₭₭₭₭₭₭₭₭₭₭₭₭₭₭₭₦lt;/p>

Upstairs in the attic, the girls tried everything they cold think of to find the missing Halliwell--spells, potions, scrying, but nothing worked. Suddenly, the doorbell rang and startled everyone out of the concentration.

Piper: "We don't have time for this! Phoebe, get rid of them. Wait--you might need us."

Phoebe: "Piper, demons don't ring doorbells."

Piper: "Nicholas did. Remember that? When we first became witches? Because I seem to remember that demon ringing the doorbell."

Phoebe nodded even as she raced downstairs, "Good point. Stand behind the door just in case."

Swinging open the door, she smiled warmly and drew out her words. "Daddy!!! Hi. I've missed you!" She pushed him backwards and tried to shut the door, "And I'm afraid I'm going to have to miss you some more because we're kind of in the middle of something---But I promise we'll call you later. Luv ya, bye!"

Victor stuck his foot in the door to prevent his youngest daughter from slamming it in is face. He smiled knowingly at her, especially since he knew exactly what they we're in the middle of. "Is Piper here?"

Behind the door, the eldest panicked in a hushed voice, "I can't let him see me like this. I'm almost as old as he is!"

Victor tried to sidestep the Charmed One in the doorway, but she deftly maneuvered back into his path. "Honey, I have something I need to talk to Piper about, and I really can't leave until I've said my peace."

Phoebe: "Daddy, now is really not a good time."

Victor smiled patiently, "I'm not leaving. Piper! I know you're here…"

Piper shouted back from behind the door, hoping to pacify her father with her voice. "Hi Daddy. I'm kind of tied up right now"

Victor joked, "Does she mean that literally? Cause I never know with you girls. Oh never mind." He called into the house, "Piper--I'm leaving now, and I guess I'll just have to keep my little secret all to myself…"

Phoebe couldn't hide her curiosity, "Wait--what secret?"

Victor: "Well, that I know what you girls are up to. What you're looking for. More specifically, _who_ you're looking for…"

Phoebe narrowed her eyes cautiously, "How?"

Victor ignored her question happily and continued to bait them, "And I know that this person you're looking for happens to be about six-feet tall, has shaggy chestnut brown hair--which needs cutting by the way, uh--blue eyes--which I thought for some odd reason that they were green when I first met him…"

Piper stepped into the doorway and pulled her father inside, "Can the riddles, Daddy. Where is he?"

Victor feigned shock at her older appearance, having already been prepared after Chris told him who they were dealing with. "Piper, what happened to you?"

Piper blew out an agitated breath, "I don't have time to explain. There's something we need to do right now, and we need to find Chris before we do it. So just tell me where my son is, please?"

Victor took a deep breath and slowly led her by the arm to the couch, "Hmm. Actually, no you don't. Maybe we'd better sit down." He smiled in the direction of the kitchen, "Paige, Leo--You two can stop hiding as well, because I think your going to need to hear this too. That's actually why I'm here."

Leo and Paige both stepped out of the kitchen and smiled guiltily before giving him a small wave and motioning him to continue.

TBC….

Do You Really Want to Know?

Chapter 19

By: teal-lover

AN: Sorry guys, but this is going to be the last chapter, or the last chapter before the epilogue. I just couldn't drag it out any further. Good news is, if you want it, I think I want to make a sequel detailing Chris' life after Valhalla & how he became the Chris we all know & love. I already even have some of written as I had planned to include it here, but it just made it too long. But this chapter pretty much wraps up the story. The epilog is more of a reflection. And speaking of let me know if I can include anything from the season 6 finale in it, because I don't want to spoil it for anyone.

One more thing--I'm basing my logic off of Charmed logic. Because Chris actually started to disappear in the past & the angel of death came for him when he had changed things too much & might have prevented his own birth.

And also let me know in your reviews if you think it's worth doing a sequel. Ok? Ok. On with it.

Summary: Chris has a deeper reason why he hates Leo so much, and why he wants to save his brother so badly. Phoebe is determined to help him through his issues and find out what it is. WARNING--Rated "R" for violence and the mention of rape.

Disclaimer in part 1

₣-₣-#₭#₭#₭#₭#₭#₭#-₣

Victor took his eldest daughter's hands in his, "Honey, I know what you're trying to do, and also who you are--or I guess more specifically, when you are from. You see, a certain young man, came to me a few hours ago and explained what was going on here."

Piper sat up straighter with a look of disbelief, "He what!"

Victor: "Yeah. And what's more, basically he wants you all to _butt out!_ And after hearing his point of view, I hate to say it, but I agree with him."

Piper was outraged and snatched her hands away, "HE WHAT!"

Victor tried to diffuse the tense atmosphere with humor, "Is there an echo in here?"

Leo: "No offense Victor, but I don't think you understand the gravity of what's going on here. Nor do I think you really understand what you're asking us to do. Or rather, not to do."

Phoebe agreed with her brother-in-law, "Daddy, he's right--because I really don't think you would be all for Chris' ridiculous idea if you knew what happened. We're not doing anything wrong here. We're just trying to help him!"

Victor leaned back into the cushions as he thought about what his family said. Now he knew why his grandson had fled earlier. They did seem impossibly stubborn to talk to, but then again, they did seem to have a point. He closed his eyes as his overactive imagination cycled through a list of horrors his grandson could have endured. After all, it had to be terrible if they were advocating this change so strongly.

Suddenly, an irrational surge of fear for the boy gripped at his heart. Doubt flooded his mind as he momentarily questioned his own position on the subject. Was he doing the right thing? Then he thought back to the passenger currently hiding outside in his car. The desperate and pleading look in his eyes, even as he sought him out to stand against his own family, was impossible to deny in any way. He vaguely wondered if in the future, the boy knew how much he had his grandfather wrapped around his little finger, 'Yeah. Most likely.' He smiled inwardly as he thought, 'That boy is going to be trouble growing up. And spoiled. By me.'

But Chris had made his own good point. No matter how much they wanted to help him, they simply couldn't do that without changing who Christopher had become. Because he doubted that Piper would have raised--or even allowed for that matter--the surly, cunning, temperamental, and sometimes even abrasive behavior in the young man that he had met recently.

Opening his eyes once more, Victor prepared to argue his grandson's case again. "You won't be helping him if you go ahead with this. And you're right; I don't know exactly what happened, and quite frankly--I don't want to know the details. My own imagination is more than sufficient. But it's enough for me to believe in my grandson and trust that he knows what he's doing."

Piper's eyes flashed angrily, "This is NOT up for debate! He is _my son_, not yours! And I'm the one who raised him, so if anyone should butt out, its you! This is not your decision."

Victor tried to keep his calm, but his daughter was making extremely difficult for him. "It's not your decision either. Yes, you raised him. You birthed him, and by those rights you would certainly have more claim on him than I ever could--but that's when he was _five_, Piper. He's an adult now! He has the right to make his own decisions. And he's made it quite clear! Stay out of it!"

Piper: "That's because he's just confused right now. He thinks this is somehow his fault, and that he needs to carry this around--but he doesn't! We can change it."

Victor: "That's not why he doesn't want you involved."

Everyone's ears perked up at his, afraid that he would confirm their mutual fears of Chris' hatred for them.

Paige was the first to speak, although hesitantly, "Then why?"

Victor: "Don't you see? We are all but the sum of our experiences. If you change those experiences, you change who that person is…"

Piper's resolve now faltering, she grabbed onto her father's lapels as he wrapped his arms around her, "But daddy, you don't understand. You wouldn't be saying that if you knew what happened. And I can't tell you either. How can you expect me to just allow him to go through that again when he doesn't have to? I'm his mother. I'm supposed to protect him. How can I let that happen again?…"

Victor tried his best to comfort his oldest daughter, stroking her hair softly, "Shhh. Honey, I know it's hard. But I, of all people, understand. Every day, I live with the knowledge that you girls are out here putting your lives on the line to save the world, and that each one of those days--I wake up with the fear that there's always the possibility that I might loose you. That's why I ran away when you girls were little. I didn't want to face it. And its taken me most of your lives to finally accept your destinies. To accept that you are prepared to make the sacrifices like that for the rest of the world. But honey, you have to accept that your son has now done the same thing. This thing you want to prevent has allowed him to come back here and change the future for the better. I'm not going to ask you tell me what happened, but whatever it was--he survived it. And since he is here today, Christopher is stronger in spite of it. You have to let it be and accept that this is what he wants. It's what he needs. And if you love him, then you'll do as he asks."

"I'm not the same person you raised, Mom." For the second time in less than a day, Christopher had walked in quietly and surprised everyone with his voice. He had been getting antsy in the car awaiting his grandfather's signal to come inside. Now, as he stood leaning against the doorframe, he felt overcome with guilt as he saw his mother fighting to control her emotions in her father's arms. No one else in the room mattered as he went to her and traded places with Victor. "I'm sorry, Mom. I love you so much, you know that right? But it has to be this way."

Piper: "Why?"

Chris: "You were there. I know that you have to have seen how much I've changed. I'm not the same little boy that you raised."

Piper shook her head in denial as she plucked an imaginary piece of lint from his shirt, "Well you're just all grown up, now. No, you are still my sweet little boy."

Chris stared deeply into her eyes so that she would see no deception in them as he answered, "Would that _sweet little boy_ have killed--because in the long run, he believed it would be justified and work itself out in the end? Lied, cheated, stolen to get what he wanted to accomplish his goals? Made deals with demons because they could help him accomplish them faster? Then turned around and even surprised the demons by betraying them? Would he have learned to bargain, manipulate, even seduce his way into all sorts of _distasteful _situations? All in order to get what he wanted to change any of this?"

Chris took a look around the room as everyone absorbed the impact of his words. He paused momentarily as he imagined their disappointment before turning back to his mother. He knew his words had stunned her, and he hated having to draw on some of those old psychological tricks he had learned against her. But he had to get them to see things his way, so he pushed on. "No. Not your little "sunshine". He's been gone for a very long time, now."

The hardened look he quickly masked helped to cement his words further.

"But it's ok. Because he couldn't have handled the things I've had to do to get here. The things I've done _since _I've been here. Believe me, if he had tried--he would have ended up dead a long time ago. Because a certain amount of evil-- that he didn't have--was required to stop evil. At least, not until it my brother taught me that. And others like him who showed me how to get it."

The remaining Charmed sisters held each other as they thought about what their nephew said.

Chris: "Now that you all understand, I need you promise me that you'll leave this alone. You can not change what happened. You're not meant to." He looked around the room sternly, silently demanding an answer from each member of his family.

As each one nodded in affirmation, his eyes finally fell on his mother, who had thus refused to answer. "Mom?

She stared down at the floor and swiped at the tears fiercely at his prodding. Reluctantly, she mouthed her affirmation, not a sound able to escape her lips. Unable to face her son, she squeezed his hand quickly and turned to run upstairs.

Paige looked at her nephew longingly, her arms stretched out towards him. Her own mind warred with her desire to hold him, against her need to comfort her sister, whose heart she knew would be breaking. When he pointed his head in the direction of the stairs, she smiled meekly at his understanding before following into the attic.

Chris' eyes locked on the stairwell as he slid his hand up and down the banister, "Send them home, Phoebe." Looking over at his father and effectively dismissing him, "All of them. We've got to make up for lost time in finding out who started this whole mess."

After the room had cleared, Victor inched closer to the young man, "Those were some pretty harsh words you said to them."

Chris: "They needed to hear them."

Victor: "You may have fooled them, but for some reason, I can see right through you."

Chris turned and smiled genuinely back at the older man, "You always could. Just because I've changed, toughened up to survive; doesn't mean I don't still have feelings. I hated what I just had to do."

Victor: "I know. But it was necessary. To save your family."

Chris snaked his arm around his grandfather's shoulders. "Yeah."

Victor suddenly turned serious. "You're not going to leave things like that with her, are you?"

Chris sighed heavily, "I don't want to. But it's probably for the best." He stared down at the floor sadly, "I never got to say goodbye to her when she died."

Victor held out his hand for his grandson, allowing his concern for the young man overcome his fear of orbing, "Then why miss the only chance you'll probably ever get? Come on son, I'll be right there with you." The only response he received when his hand was grabbed was the unfamiliar feeling of vertigo as they landed in the attic.

Chris immediately dropped his hand and stood back guiltily as Piper looked up through bleary red and puffy eyes.

Chris took a hesitant step closer. "Mom? Please. Don't be mad at me? I need for you not to be mad at me. And to understand why I'm doing this."

Piper heard the unspoken fear of rejection in his voice. Showing a vulnerable side that he hadn't really shown in a long time. Especially not downstairs a few short minutes ago. It was at this moment that she realized that he hadn't really changed. He just hid it better.

She rushed forward and surrounded him with her arms, "Baby, I'm not mad at you. And I understand why you're doing this. That you want to save the world; the rest of your family. But all you have to do is say the word--right here--right now, and I will gladly give it all up for you to spare you that pain."

The half witch/whitelighter closed his eyes as he held on tighter. "I know. But this is the way it has to be for now."

Piper nodded silently, not having expected the old Halliwell stubborn streak to vanish in her second born. "You know, what you said back there? I don't believe you. You're still my sunshine. Do you remember how I always used to call you that?"

Chris chuckled softly at the memory, "Yeah. Till I made you stop in the fifth grade. That was embarrassing…"

"Well you can't stop me now. No matter what happens, or what you do, or where you go--I love you, sunshine. And I'm so proud of you. You just always remember that ok?"

Chris nodded with a lump in his throat as he reluctantly let her go.

Paige moved over and hugged her youngest nephew, "Goodbye, kiddo. Be careful. And you be good." Smiling mischievously at him she added, "or not."

The two future sisters soon exchanged goodbye's with everyone that belonged in the current time. The oldest spoke, "Take care of my baby, Phoebe."

Phoebe wiped the tears from her eyes emotionally. She thought to herself how foolish it was that she was going to miss them, especially since she would be seeing their younger versions soon enough. "I will. We need to um--send Leo back before you go."

Paige's eyes confirmed with her older sister before responding. She actually felt a bit of pity for the older man who would be left with nothing when he returned. But after he dealt out the punishment that she had secretly wished she could have done, she felt that she owed him something. The least she could do was allow him to return with some company, if only for a little while. She understood that Piper only agreed half-heartedly. "No, that's ok. Leo can always send us back to the spirit realm when we get back to our time."

Leo looked on in surprised relief when his sister-in-law spoke.

They said the power swapping spell again to return the powers to the present Charmed Ones currently still residing "Up There" with Leo and baby Wyatt.

Phoebe: "Piper, try to blow something up. Paige, orb something before you leave."

When it was proven that their powers had indeed been removed, they recited the return spell as the triquetra glowed on the back wall.

Without another word, the three looked on sadly as they disappeared into the portal holding hands to ensure a safe return.

Phoebe closed her eyes and stared down at the floor. "I'm sorry…" she whispered.

Chris: "For what?"

Phoebe: "I really thought I was doing the right thing. I just wish, that I could have helped you somehow."

Chris smiled warmly, "You did, Phoebe. You gave me something that I was never able to have before. I got to say goodbye. And that means a lot. So thank you. Now you'd better go get your Piper and the others. Cause if I know her--"

Phoebe threw her hands up in frustration as she headed downstairs, "I know, I know. Somebody's gonna get it. And with my luck it'll probably be me."

Chris grinned happily as he called after her, "Or if we're really lucky, it'll be Leo."

When they were alone, Victor turned to the brown-haired witch, "You know, your mom had the right idea. Whatever you may think about yourself, and however you've had to get by--don't feel bad. You're a good man, Christopher Perry Halliwell. And if I never get the chance to say it again, I'm proud to have you as my grandson."

Chris grinned mischievously, "We'll see if you're still saying that when I accidentally crash your car into the lake in a few years." He whined in a childlike voice as he quoted himself over a decade ago, "But grandpa, I didn't mean to do it…"

Victor sighed exasperatedly, "What am I going to do with you?"

Chris: "Guess you'll have to wait and see…"

TBC…

Do You Really Want to Know?

Chapter 20-Epilog

By: teal-lover

AN: I don't like the way season 6 ended, so I'm going to fix it a bit.

Summary: Chris has a deeper reason why he hates Leo so much, and why he wants to save his brother so badly. Phoebe is determined to help him through his issues and find out what it is. WARNING--Rated "R" for violence and the mention of rape.

Disclaimer in part 1

â‚£-â‚£-#â‚­#â‚­#â‚­#â‚­#â‚­#â‚­#-â‚£

Phoebe sat on the windowsill of the nursery, her vision alternating between the clear blue sky and sleeping infant in the bassinet.

She ignored the trail of tears that fell ₦rom her eyes as she thought about the young man that she had grown to love. It saddened her that no one else would ever know the depths to his love for them all, and the extent of his sacrifice that eventually claimed his life. It was a burden she could never share with another soul because of her vow of silence to him; one that she refused to ever break.

She recalled that day in Magic school when they all shared a drink and celebrated a pre-mature victory.

Everyone thought she was referring to Wyatt when Phoebe toasted, "To our nephew," but her eyes caught Chris', knowing that he would understand that her toast was secretly meant for him, "May he always been safe."

Phoebe alone had watched him as he sullenly stared at the floor, oblivious to the excited chatter surrounding him. He looked anything but happy that he had accomplished his mission. In fact, she noted that he looked scared before a quiet resolve took over, and he accepted the unknown future.

Still, he was reluctant to leave when they thought they had saved Wyatt. To be honest, she had even been afraid for him and avoided the young man as the day of his departure drew closer. And she knew from their late night conversations at P3 that it was because of what he would have to live with when he got there. If he even got there at all. She had wondered then if he would cease to exist as he was, as she had felt his secret longing even though he denied it. She understood now that he had just wanted everything to be over, one way or another. To forget all of the horrible things that he had done, and that had been done to him.

As they sat in the waiting room of the hospital, Paige had tearfully informed her that Chris had disappeared. At first she tried to deny it, but soon after, she weakly tried to convince her sister that he hadn't really died, and had just returned to the future. But at the same time, she felt guilty at being glad for him. She knew she was grasping at straws, but it certainly made her feel better to imagine that he was finally happy wherever he ended up; even if that meant that he would get his wish. The former empath desperately hoped that he was. The half witch/whitlighter had so few occasions to be happy. It brought a small smile to her lips as she remembered the day he came home, only to be stopped by Piper.

Present time Flashback.......

When Chris returned from his Grandfather's house after spending the weekend with him, an infuriated and very much pregnant Piper greeted him at the front door.

"I want to know what's been going on around here, Mister! Phoebe, for the first time in her life, has decided to be tight lipped about it." She whipped her head around at her younger sister, "I demand to know why my ex-husband kidnapped me, my son, and my sister--FOR NEARLY A WEEK!! And for who knows what reason."

Chris backed away from her slightly, "Calm down, Piper. I mean Mom. It's not good for the baby."

Piper advanced on him threateningly, "It's not going to be good for the big version either if you don't tell me!"

Chris decided to feign innocence as he looked over her shoulder to the empathy, currently squirming in the corner. "What is she talking about, Phoebe? Did something happen while I've been with Grandpa for the last few days."

Phoebe glared at him for his partial lie, but she felt she owed him something after the difficult time she had just put him through. "Piper, I asked Leo to take you guys up there for a while. Chris didn't have anything to do with it, and I even sent him away to spend some quality time with Daddy."

Paige had been quiet, but now spoke. "Why, Phoebe?"

The middle sister had rehearsed her fictional account, but was afraid to repeat it until she knew what her nephew would say. "Because I know it's so unusual in this family for any of us to have time off without any demons, especially after the Spider Woman incident. So--"

Chris blushed with embarrassment at that mention, but picked up her train of thought, "So you sent us all away for a vacation?"

Phoebe's eyes glazed over, "Yeah. Vacation. Yeah, that's it. I had to send Piper and Paige up they're with Leo, because evil just never leaves the Charmed Ones alone no matter where we go. And I knew that Chris would take it easy if he went with Daddy--so long as there was nothing to worry about here for a little while."

Paige raised her eyebrow in suspicion, "So why didn't you come with us?"

Phoebe laughed nervously, "Uh, staggered shifts? I didn't want to leave the world _completely _unprotected." She quickly changed the subject and turned to her nephew with a grin, "So did you have fun this weekend?"

Chris smiled and nodded cheerfully, "Actually I did."

Piper turned to her son quizzically as she was taken aback by his rare show of emotion, "Wait, _you_ had fun? As in "ha, I'm taking a break, _fun_?"

His mood not hampered by his mother's teasing, "Yessss" he drawled out. "Why is that so hard to believe? I've taken breaks before. I have _even _had actual _fun _before--"

Paige shook her head in disbelief, "Wow. Victor _really is _an awesome grandpa. I think the fact that he actually had fun was worth the aggravation. Phoebe, you're forgiven."

Piper patted her son's arm, "Yeah. It was worth it to see you relaxed for a change."

Chris looked on excitedly and perked up, "I'm not relaxed. And even if I was, I think we've been relaxing quite long enough, don't you think? So we need to get back on track with finding out who turns Wyatt. I think I've got a lead"

Piper scrunched up her face in irritation as he orbed off, "That vacation was _so _not long enough"

End Flashback

------------

At least he had been happy, if only for a moment. Her only wish for him now was that he had found the peace that he had so desired.

The baby began to stir and she immediately went to pick him up. She noticed the brilliant emerald eyes staring back at her in wonder, and remembered future Piper telling her about them. "They used to be green," she had said wistfully. "A brilliant emerald and sometimes sea-foam green. But whenever my baby was sad, or upset, or hurting--they were crystal blue. Like they are now"

That knowledge had always disturbed her, because she always remembered seeing them as blue. But looking at the baby's eyes now gave her hope. This Chris still had a chance. His future would be safe.

She nuzzled the tiny hand that reached for her face; "Your eyes will always be green. I'll make sure of it, Little One."

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23 Years Later into the Future…..

Side by side, Piper, Paige, and Leo stepped out of the portal into the attic, which didn't look all that different from the attic they had just left in the past.

Confused, Paige spun around and asked her sister, "Do you feel different somehow?"

Piper nodded cautiously, "What's going on? I feel--I don't know--"

Leo looked equally as confused and finished her sentence, "Disoriented? It wasn't like this when you guys pulled me into the past. It was a mus---e-um" his voice trailed off as he noticed the orbs forming in front of them.

"Where have you guys been!! I've been looking all over for you. I was starting to get worried. Never mind that, now that you're here--I need to ask you a _really_ big favor?"

The mop of blond wavy hair swung carelessly in tune to the animated figure before them. He finally caught the stares they gave him, "What's wrong with you guys? You look like you've seen a ghost?"

Even as he spoke, the shock of seeing the twice-blessed, former tyrant, bouncing around enthusiastically wore off.

The confusion gradually lifted, only to be replaced by a strange new feeling.

"You guys are acting really weird. Stay right there, I'm going to get Aunt Phoebe."

Orbing back moments later, Phoebe immediately understood their disorientation. She and her father were the only ones alive that knew of the whole sordid affair. She had prepared for this moment for a very long time.

"Wy, honey? I need to talk with your Mom, Dad and Aunt Paige. Alone. Would you mind?"

The young man bristled at being left out, "But--"

Phoebe soothed him calmly, "They'll be fine, I promise. I just have to explain a few things to them." She extended her arms and led them to the couch as soon as her nephew left reluctantly.

"Let me guess. You feel a little confused right now?"

Leo raised an eyebrow, "Uh, yeah."

Phoebe sat down on the arm rest of the couch before explaining. "Then let me start from the beginning. And this is a bit confusing, so try not to interrupt until I get finished, Ok? Ok. The three of you are originally from the another future--a very horrible one. Twenty-three years ago, I summoned Paige and Piper--who were dead by the way--to the past, where we also summoned Leo. Now when you got there, Chris had already traveled to the past to change the horrible future you came from. Well, he succeeded."

She motioned her arms to sweep around the room, "This _is _that new, changed future. Now here's where it's gonna' get tricky--when we sent you back, we thought we were sending you to the future you came from. But it no longer existed because Chris changed it. So you came to the only future that does exist. And in this one, you're not dead. You're souls are in your bodies where they're supposed to be."

Paige: "So let me get this straight: We were dead when we left the past, but since Chris changed the future--we've come back and we're not dead anymore?"

Phoebe nodded. "Yeah, pretty much. He altered the timeline that you three existed in--so that when you came back, you came back into your lives that exist here and now. That's probably why you're confused. You're memories are still catching up while the old ones are fading. But that will take a while."

Piper started to nod in understanding, but suddenly panicked when she thought of one more question, "So what happened to the "souls" that were in these bodies for the last 23 years?"

Phoebe held her hands up to calm her older sister, "The way the Elder's explained it before, is that it's the same soul. The same consciousness. The same person. They're merged together now. Like they should be. You probably don't remember much about the other timeline because we made an agreement with the Elders to remove those memories. Trust me, you would thank me for it--they're nothing worth keeping."

Paige: "But I started to remember something when we first got here."

Phoebe rolled her eyes and glanced upward in irritation, "That's because _they _said they couldn't remove them until you actually showed up from the past. And we were never certain _when _exactly you would land."

Leo questioned the empath, "How do you know any of this?"

Phoebe sighed loudly before answering. "Because it happened to Chris years ago. He began having nightmares of the other timeline and memories of returning to the past. We figured out that his soul--his consciousness--was still the same and had simply found its way back to its rightful place. Eventually, we were able to rid him of any knowledge of those events. And we all decided that it was best if we kept it that way, because now he's living the happy future that he helped create. We'll do the same for you if you get any memories of the other timeline."

Leo still didn't quite understand, "How is this possible?"

Phoebe crossed her legs and leaned back, "The Elders. They said that our family had been through enough, and decided to let everyone enjoy the peaceful future we created. Personally, I think it's just because they're so grateful that we pulled their sorry butts out of the fire and prevented their extinction."

Piper: "So everything is ok?"

Phoebe nodded cheerfully, "Uhm hmm. There's still the occasional demon attack, but--we can handle them as a family."

Paige: "So what was Wyatt hopping around in here earlier for?"

Phoebe laughed, "Oh that. Chris' birthday is in three days. And Wy's been pestering Piper and Leo for weeks to have this big surprise birthday bash at P3."

Leo: "And we said no?"

Phoebe: "More like you've enjoyed stringing him along the entire time since you've already had one planned yourselves. So anyway, you guys just take it easy for the next few days, and everything will come back to you."

On her way out, she literally bumped into her youngest nephew running in the hallway. "Whoa, what's the hurry? Where are you off to?"

The dark haired witch grinned widely, "Oh hey, Aunt Phoebe. Wy's taking me to a concert as one of my birthday presents. He won't tell me which one though."

Phoebe's eyebrow shot up as she stopped him halfway down the landing. "_One _of your presents?"

He smiled at her casually. "Yeah. So how's that surprise party coming along?"

She reached up and smacked the tall brunette playfully on the arm, "I hate it when you do that. You're mother has to take the fun out of surprise parties too."

He laughed while sprinting down the stairs as they heard a car horn blaring outside. Calling after his brother, "I'm coming, I'm coming!" Before he headed out the front door, he turned to the empath, "Yeah, but you love me anyway."

Phoebe folded her arms as she watched the door close. "Yes I do, Christopher. Yes I do."

THE END!!!!

AN: So many of you have given me so much encouragement to write, and have helped me through this process. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it and love the reviews you've been so kind to share with me. I couldn't have done it without you guys (tearing up).

With that said, I would like to give a special thanks to:

Alyssa Halliwell

buffspike

Stony Angel

Badgirl21

Faith, Love and Penny Candy

Calen

Jamieson Z

DarkGoddessRaven

melissa-p

mimifoxlove

thedifferentone / Icantthinkofafnick

X3

ashlee

CaliforniaChick

Good Witch

Jhaylin

melissa

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xLuckiLuVx

ZodIaCCaT

CHARMEDBOOKWORM

ChrisBianca

Dannyblue

Jackie

lex

mi-au (heike-chanweb.de)

nighttime writer

PrueHalliwell

raven01uk

Shelly

Stranded Stargazer

zoned-out

Angel

Cat

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faith

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jessie

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Lonie

magicrules

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Sarah

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whatever

wonderwhatsnext

Zeek

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**_And to the newcomers that I hadn't thanked previously: _**

**_Nathy1000000_**

**_Grace_**

And also, for your honest opinions to:

Acacia Jules  
Leesha


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